Album title:
'Kitchen Stories'
Artist:
Carol Laula
Label:
Acoustic Roots
Kitchen Stories' is the sixth album from Scottish singer/songwriter Carol Laula. Recorded in her home studio, these songs are constrained by a sense of domestic cosiness; they smoothly run the gamut of emotions from A to B, but rarely stretch to C. Opener 2 B4 Lunch is typical - a jaunty jangle bearing a passing resemblance to Joni Mitchell's Big Yellow Taxi, Carol blithely croons "I ain't got no rhythm, but I got the blues", while the unobtrusive chorus might as well state "I always have tuna for lunch", as I initially misheard. Sunday Clothes is a loungy number about dressing up with a view to later disrobing, but is less a saucy 'come hither' than an ode to marital contentment. Elsewhere, 'Kitchen Stories' jogs along pleasantly enough, sounding mostly like The Beautiful South with Jacqueline Abbot on vocals. Mums and grannies might happily hum along to this over a cup of tea, but it could fail to trouble hearts and minds to any great extent. [Iain Radcliffe]