Rating: NNN
A Norah Jones side project it may be, but the famed chanteuse only sings lead on half the tunes, sharing equal control with singer-songwriter Richard Julian, so this eponymous set is a true band effort. While heir name may be a nod to Willie Nelson, whose I Gotta Get Drunk is covered here, this is no outlaw country album. It’s a mellow, easy-going affair from the get-go, with songs by Kris Kristofferson and Townes Van Zandt played with the same evenness as the Leiber and Stoller classic Love Me. Not a bad thing, really, but the professionalism behind these country-lite treatments keeps the band from sounding as relaxed and spontaneous as they apparently do live. The exception is the closing song, Lou Reed — a loose and fun ode that swings nicely and finds Lou in Texas, cow-tipping, no less. More unguarded moments like this and the Little Willies may be on to something.
