Soozie Tyrell: White Lines - 2003
"Soozie Tyrell has been one of the best kept secrets of the New York and New Jersey musicians community for a long time. This year she brought the raw beauty of her voice and violin to the E Street band. Here on "White Lines" she gets a chance to step out and shine on her own. Check it out." - Bruce Springsteen, 2003.
Before joining Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band on violin in the early 2000s, Soozie Tyrell played with Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes and Mrs. Springsteen, Patti Scialfa. On this 2003 solo album, she sang all her own songs, proving herself to be a talented songwriter in the Lucinda Williams country rock mode.
Growling and purring, with a sexy, throaty sort of voice, Tyrell put across country-tinged semi-autobiographical tales of a life spent on the road, dating back to her childhood as a daughter of a father in the military and from later years hanging out in Greenwich Village with her girlfriends.
This is, to date, the only solo album she has put out, as she carries on, year in, year out, touring with Springsteen. It is a more than acceptable effort, though, so it is a bit of a shame that no further albums were ensuing. Those who say it is only good because of the presence of Springsteen on a few tracks can do one.
Springsteen joins Soozie on White Lines - playing guitar on a tale of being in the back of her father’s car with her two sisters, watching the white lines go by, driving to Chesapeake Bay, Virginia. It is a vibrant rock number, with some evocative “on the road at truckstops” lyrics. The more contemplative, dignified and mournful ballad Ste. Genevieve sees Soozie joined by Bruce once more and his wife Patti is on backing/shared lead vocals.
Dark Clouds is a really catchy piece of fiddle-driven very late nineties/early 2000s country rock in a sort of Trisha Yearwood/Dixie Chicks style. Soozie's voice is expressive and powerful on this. She has a lovely, sexy tone to her vice, made for songs like this. Guitarist Larry Williams shines on this as proceeds to do the slowly romantic and evocative Wild Ones. It is a classic modern country slushie of a song. I love it. It is very Mary Chapin Carpenter-esque. Also firmly in that wipe a tear away vein is Ain't Goin' Back. Country music has always served up tearjerkers, they just have a bit more of a robust, rock backing these days.
Have A Little Patience is a strong rock ballad with vague country-ish airs and a killer chorus. Ferdouganal sees Soozie mining a Celtic/folk seam in an ethereal, winsome fashion. It also has quite strong hints of the American folk song Shenandoah. Soozie's violin solo in the middle is moving, full of soul and just simply beautiful. A vague mysterious funky edge is explored on the darkly appealing, bluesy Who Rules Your Life, a fine song with airs of Sting about it. It's got a great mid-song guitar solo too.
The sombre Little Girl is a quite disturbing song, seemingly about child abuse. Let's hope it wasn't written from personal experience. Whatever its genesis, Soozie makes her violin cry on it.
Out On Bleecker Street lifts the mood, and is an E Street-ish joyful rocker, with Soozie singing about putting her heels on and partying with her mates on New York’s Bleecker Street. It is a catchy, animated number and one of my favourites on the album. The beautiful, vivid Chapin Carpenter-esque Everything Good, complete with another mournful violin solo from Soozie, concludes what really is a very stimulating and entrancing album. Such a pity there haven’t been any more.
