Rating: NN
Though Dawn Landes claims the title of her new album is not an homage, the Brooklyn-via-Kentucky singer/songwriter probably should have thought twice before naming it Sweet Heart Rodeo. Anyone looking for a slice of whisky-kissed country rock like the Byrds’ classic Sweetheart Of The Rodeo will probably be disappointed. For the most part, Landes keeps her flirtation with that genre to an antiseptic minimum.
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Even when echoing the lyrics of down-on-your-luck staple Sixteen Tons on Romeo, Landes keeps the music upbeat and breezy, an aesthetic that works on the hooky indie pop offering Young Girl. But her refusal to stick with a style stalls the album’s momentum. And though her voice is strong enough to carry the tracks, most of the time it’s needlessly strained. Memorable as these songs may be, they could use a good kick of grit to truly set them in motion.
Top track: Young Girl
Dawn Landes plays Lee’s Palace March 29.
