BEST
9. BETTYE LAVETTE
The Scene of the Crime (Anti-)
Critics have lined up to call her the greatest soul singer alive. But LaVette, 61, recently argued that ''soul'' is a white man's misnomer. Maybe best blues interpreter, then? A track like ''Talking Old Soldiers'' — crooned in a bar to a stranger, by an aging drunk who's seen all her friends die — gets to the essence of despair the way great blues does...even if it's actually an Elton John cover. Enlisting the Drive-By Truckers as her rowdy, ragged backup band, LaVette continues to imbue her other borrowed tracks (from Don Henley, George Jones, and Willie Nelson) with grit, anguish, and even some serious sex appeal. She's a force of nature we'll just have to settle on labeling as awesome.
You Might Also Like
- Music Review Lupe Fiasco's The Cool | Chris Willman
- Music Commentary Meet rapper Lupe Fiasco | Margeaux Watson
- Music News The successes of rapper Lupe Fiasco | Margeaux Watson
- Music News Chris Willman lists his top 10 records of 2006 | Chris Willman
- Music News A few of Lupe Fiasco's favorite things | Michael Endelman
- Music News Patrick Stump's hip-hop crossover | Simon Vozick-Levinson
