Patti Scialfa: Play It As It Lays - 2007

This is a more rootsy offering from Patti Scialfa than her previous albums, with the opener, the swampy blues of Looking For Elvis carrying with it strong Mark Knopfler influences and also reminding me in its guitar sound of Springsteen's Good Eye. 

Bad For You is cut from the same cloth, as is Run Run Run. The gritty Like Any Woman Would has an appealing mix of gospel and solid rock backed by some "doo-lang" vocals while Town Called Heartbreak has a deep bassiness to it, together with Patti developing a throatiness in her voice that she hasn't had previously. 

Play Around is a delicious Bruce-ish slow number too. Of Patti's three albums, this last one (she has released nothing since) is probably the most mature and accomplished one. As with its predecessor, there isn't a bad track on here. Just check out Rainy Day Man, for example. Good stuff and most underrated.

 

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