On her 12th album, the always-amazing belter Kane continues her journey through roots rock, blues and swing, singing about the elation and heartbreak of romance, leavening it with hard-won confidence and a sense of self-empowerment. The title track opens the album and sets the tone, a terrific example of jump blues and a clear-eyed testament to personal strength.
Elsewhere on the album, Kane excels at slow-burning soul on which she unleashes the full power of her bluesy wail, such as the sultry "What Love Can Do," and the swaying, horn-escorted "Darling Baby." She also faithfully re-creates the sound of raw '70s soul on "Rise Up," which also contains a convincing message about overcoming obstacles.
The retro-rock of "Barbed Wire Mouth" and twanging noir of "I Wanted You to Walk (Right Thru That Door)" may call to mind a version of the Blasters if it were fronted by a powerhouse female singer. Like most of the album, both tunes showcase talented young guitarist Laura Chavez—this is her third collaboration with Kane, and she even gets billing on the cover this time around.
Kane continues to show off her stylistic range right up until the album's close. The last two songs are "Marijuana Boogie," the classic Lalo Guerrero tune, and "Au Revoir, Ya'll," a New Orleans-style slice of boogie-woogie, infused with a punchy horn section.
