Search - Laura Minor :: Salesman's Girl

Rockbluescountryfolk -- Sheryl Crow without the commercials

hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 07/18/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"If Sheryl Crow hadn't lost her street cred in the transition to Classic Rock postergirl, she might still be recording discs like Laura Minor's debut. Minor's rootsy music covers much of the same musical ground as Crow's -- rock 'n' roll energy (with a sweet powerpop edge), country blue twang, folk introspection -- but without the overexposed media superstardom and commercial profligacy that's become Crow's stock-in-trade.Minor has grown her lyrics from poems, with imagery often substituting for straight-ahead exposition. But even in their initial opacity, her words are lyrical, rather than prose broken to fit a meter, or poetry stretched into song. Her mood is often rendered most clearly in the melodies and musical backings crafted by the band and producer David Lowery (ex-Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker).The baritone guitar and anguished vocal of the title track provide forlorned underlining of a salesman's broken dreams. It's the same sort of power conjured by Libbi Bosworth's appraisal of her own father's sad-sack life on "My Old Man." Similarly, the longing of "American Girls" is buoyed by overlayed rhythm guitars, an ebullient melody and Jeff Laitaille's drumming. The blend of full-wattage electrics and acoustic strumming is worthy of the song title's pedigree (i.e., Tom Petty's "American Girl").Minor can crank up the rockabilly sass of Wanda Jackson (though, clearly, Jackson never sang lyrics with the metaphysical edge of "Can't Keep Giving Away My Light"), or settle into a bluesy power ballad, edging towards Janis Joplin, while retaining the fragility of Kelly Willis. This is an accomplished debut, even without noting that Minor's only been working on music for a little over a year!3-1/2 stars, if Amazon allowed fractional ratings."

Solid but Unspectacular

Brian D. Rubendall | Oakton, VA | 03/03/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"There are so many young female singer-songwriters working in the alt-country genre these days that it's easy to them get lost in the shuffle. Laura Minor's problem is that she's not nearly as good a songwriter as Patti Griffin, nor as good a singer as Tift Merritt or Allison Moorer, nor as intense as Kathleen Edwards, nor does she have the pedigree of Caitlin Cary. She gamely gives it her best shot, aided by excellent production work from Cracker's David Lowery. Ultimately, though, what carries an album like this is the songs. And though "Salesman's Girl" contains a decent title track and some other spirited country rockers, many of the tracks are just not distinctive enough to allow her to truly stand out. Minor posseses a fine voice, and next time out she might be advised to record some cover songs to juice things up.Overall, a passable country rock album that ultimately fails to break out from the pack."

Altcountry worth discovering

Brian D. Rubendall | 08/10/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Laura Minor and her band hail from my town and I discovered them at a local band showcase that's usually a boring parade of lackluster acts. Minor got my rapt attention right away with her sweet, soulful, but twangy voice and her band's tight and flawless playing--what a discovery! This album is a tasty blend of alt-country rock, enlivened by solid and innovative guitar and bass work and Minor's opaque but compelling lyrics, and buoyed along by that incredible voice. Years from now, if there's justice in this world, I hope to be saying "I heard them play way back when...""