Tom Ovans - Party Girl

Tom Ovans' eleventh studio album, Party Girl, sees the veteran performer tilling the undulations of American traditional music once more. Gravel voiced and nihilistic, Ovans still wears his Dylan influences openly and with distinction. Varying from country rock to acoustic balladry, the easy flow of melodies and prominence of vocal in the mix enforces a feeling that this is almost a collection of poetry set to a backing track, rather than a complete musical piece. More often than not a bleak and austere commentary on the daily grind of American life, all played through country chords, old ragtime rhythms and with a gospel backing littered here and there. Sung and spoken with a drawl so guttural that it can only belong to a middle aged man with the roving spirit of youth, Party Girl is a strong and explicit work that perfectly spans the gap between music and performance poetry. [Neil Ferguson]