Album Review – Lindi Ortega’s “Faded Gloryville”
Today in country music, a big topic of discussion is how to solve the lack of female representation in the genre. Special programs have been set up, dedicated features are done on many of country music’s budding female stars in major periodicals. But so many of those efforts focus on female artists who are unproven, and inexperienced in connecting with audiences on a nightly basis.
Meanwhile out there on the club and honky-tonk circuit are women with skins on the wall, proven talent, and built-in fan bases that go regularly overlooked as options to bring compelling female voices to the big leagues of country. One such artist is the Canadian-born Lindi Ortega, who has just released her latest album through Last Gang Records called Faded Gloryville. The title song tackles this very subject of struggling artists being unfortunately overlooked, but instead of being bitter about it, Lindi, as she has always done, draws inspiration from her true life experiences and the struggles her and others face, and canonizes these characters and trying moments by channeling them into compelling narratives.
Faded Gloryville in some respects is a tale of two records. If you pay enough attention to independent country and roots music these days, you more than likely recognize the name Dave Cobb. The producer extraordinaire is the wizard behind the wild success of artists such as Jason Isbell and Sturgill Simpson, and was the producer of Lindi’s last record, the acclaimed Tin Star. Beginning an album with Dave Cobb in your corner is one of the strongest hands you can play as an independent artist, and that’s the starting point of Faded Gloryville.
But speaking to Lindi’s strength, confidence, vision, and maybe a little stubbornness, she wasn’t content with just settling with the hottest producer in Americana and saying it was good enough. Lindi has always found ways to shake things up with each album, and she did so by bringing other minds into the mix for Faded Gloryville. And when one of those other minds is former Civil Wars singer and guitarist John Paul White, you can rest assured Lindi’s original compositions are still in very capable hands. White presided over sessions for Ortega in the famous Florence/Muscle Shoals area of Alabama to capture that classic, gritty, and sweaty soul sound in a selection of Lindi’s new tracks.
The first portion of Faded Gloryville would only be fair to call more classic soul and rock & roll as opposed to country. Organ, horns in places, and a cover of the Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody” make for a groove-laden and classic experience. If nothing else it is during these sessions that Lindi’s voice, already the recipient of grand accolades, really blooms on tape like we’ve never heard before. Her natural vibrato, her Werther’s Original caramelized tone folded into a smoky aroma and encrusted with Rhinestone memories, reaches for your heartstrings and squeezes tight. Some of these moments may even be a little too rich for those used to dining on the eepish voices of many of today’s reserved and character-bereft singers.
The first song of the new album “Ashes” is worth reserving a place on a future Lindi Ortega Greatest Hits package. The theme of the title song “Faded Gloryville” may be a little too close to the theme of the title song “Tin Star” from her previous record, though this is Lindi’s signature—the semi-famous, struggling artist who refuses to compromise, and instead decides to find the beauty and inspiration in humble and real things.
The last four songs of Faded Gloryville are where Lindi is unleashed, and may sound more familiar to what long-time fans are used to hearing in previous albums. “Run Down Neighborhood” speaks to the always-present focus on social status that living in a town like Nashville can remind its artistic residents of, whether they want to be reminded or not. In “I Ain’t The Girl,” Lindi explains that despite her dolled-up nature, she isn’t looking for a high-class sugar daddy, but a rough and tumble type that resembles Thor to keep her happy at night. Lindi kicks up her red boots in “Run Amuck” right before she steals your heart away with the final track, and what might be the best track on the album, the poetic, sedated, and heartfelt “Half Moon.”
The Tin Star of Faded Gloryville loves to harp on her downtrodden and depreciated status amongst the riff raff residing behind the alleyways of stardom. There’s a poetry to it for Lindi. But for those seeking the beauty lurking between the margins, for those who appreciate the value of the treasures one can find on the road less traveled, Lindi Ortega has already attained iconic status, and Faded Gloryville is yet another gem in her tiara.
1 3/4 of 2 Guns Up.
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August 8, 2015 @ 10:07 am
Unrequited love? Seeing how smitten you’ve been with her in the past and in interviews, I’m surprised she didn’t get an automatic 3 guns, Mr. T. I kid, that was mean. Love this girl- can’t wait to hear her new product for myself. 🙂
Still waiting to see a post about Leon Virgil Bowers, or whatever name he prefers, giving up his inane attempts to rebrand himself. There was nothing wrong with HBG in the first place. Except that he can’t be keep a band to save his life. As talented as that dude is, he’s a serious piece of work. Not to mention, his show is only as good as the band he has in tow. I met him in Humboldt, while he was on tour with an outstanding lap steel player. Kind of a d***.
August 8, 2015 @ 10:25 am
Pool,
When there’s a story to tell, I’m sure I will tell it. I thought the Hellbound Glory name was fine, and I also thought there was some smarts in going with his own name. Seemed to work out well for Sturgill Simpson. The chemistry and timing it takes to truly launch a music artist is something that is extremely difficult to attain, and sometimes seems to have as much to do with luck as anything. I still believe Leon Virgil Bowers is one of the best songwriters out there, whether he’s a chipper dude or not. Townes made one bad step after another in his career and failed his entire life. Now he’s considered an icon. Who knows what the future holds?
August 8, 2015 @ 11:33 am
This was my introduction to this lady. An excellent album, she has so much soul in her voice! My personal favorites were “Ashes”, “Tell It Like It Is”, and “Half Moon”. The only track I didn’t care for was “Run Down Neighborhood”. I feel that given the subject matter, the song would have benefited from a more dark sound rather than a “happy” one.
August 8, 2015 @ 11:50 am
I actually liked the lighthearted sound of “Rundown Neighborhood.” It made it seem like the characters didn’t really take these issues too seriously. It was a way to shed light on a dark subject in a less depressing way.
August 8, 2015 @ 12:12 pm
If you liked this, go grab her last three albums. Today. I guarantee you won’t want to listen to anything else for a month. Hands down one of the very best artists, in any genre, of the past five years.
August 8, 2015 @ 11:59 am
First off, thank you for introducing my to Lindi’s music right before Tin Star was released nearly 2 years ago. Since then I’ve obtained her entire music discography. Her pre-Nashville stuff is pretty raw and indie as they come. The finer stuff begins with Little Red Boots album. Besides the music being more polished, her writing has grown and matured. Even from Little Red Boots to Faded Gloryville, you can tell the music has matured. This is her finest album to date. Her knack for storytelling in her music is 2nd to none. She could probably write a song about the day in a life of a sad and depressed garbage man and bring life to the story. Lindi is the complete package. The only thing that I would have to disagree with you about your review would be the 1 3/4 guns up. If it were I, I’d give it 2 guns fully up and emptying the chambers.
August 8, 2015 @ 12:01 pm
By my reckoning, this is at least her fourth straight album of brilliance. Tin Star had a couple duds, but the rest of the album more than atoned for itself. I saw her in concert last year, and she does a great performance.
With her talent and looks and charisma, she has everything to be a top tier star — well, if this were the 90’s. Ortega reminds me of Pam Tillis, except that Tillis was fortunate enough to be born earlier.
August 8, 2015 @ 12:11 pm
This is my most anticipated album of the summer, if not 2015 entirely………….and once I complete my next odd job early this coming week, I’m setting out to make a rare album purchase (I try and hear most of the music recommended here via SoundCloud and YouTube, admittedly, but would purchase full albums if I was financially stable) =)
I can’t think Trigger enough for introducing me to Lindi Ortega beginning with the
“Little Red Boots” era. Then after “Cigarettes and Truck Stops”, I waded backwards into her discography and appreciated her independent releases. I’m inclined to think “Tin Star” is her best album because it’s the most well-rounded and lyrically dense offering, but really all its predecessors are outstanding for the raw energy and impactful quality they exude.
That said, seeing the overall lyrical trajectory in her more recent career, I can definitely see “Faded Gloryville” becoming my new personal favorite of hers and emerging as a top contender in an already crowded field for Best Country Album of 2015. Can’t wait to listen! =D
August 8, 2015 @ 6:36 pm
This is a good album. I think the assessment that the latter half is the stronger part is spot on. Still, I am glad to have the whole thing and have been enjoying listening to it. Still, I think that Cigarettes & Truckstops is her best album to date by a pretty wide margin. The story told there…really, it is a concept album, is awesome. It should have been album of the year and has aged much, much better than 100 Proof has (though that did have some good songs on it).
Trigger, what does it take for someone like Lindi to get on the radio?
August 8, 2015 @ 8:45 pm
Frankly, I don’t know if it is even possible aside from starting with a budget of $500K to get Lindi on mainstream radio, and even then it’s going to be extremely hard to convince programmers to go with an unproved woman in this climate. But Lindi has received support from NPR in the past, and other independent radio outlets, so focusing more on trying to optimize her exposure through those avenues would be the much wiser choice. I can tell you that her management and label are really pushing this album, so hopefully it results in much greater exposure for her.
August 10, 2015 @ 9:06 am
So, therein lies the root of it. Where does that $500K go, exactly?
How does a radio station receive its share of that payola(?)? Through independent promoters, still? Even after FCC action in 2007? Supposedly Clear Channel ‘flatly refuse(s) to have any contact with independent promoters’.
How do station programmers ignore No. 1 releases, like Isbell, Alan Jackson, etc.?
CBS news did a feature piece on Jason Isbell on Sunday Morning. National network TV seems to know what people want. How come my rinky dink local radio station still insists on playing garbage like ‘House Party’, that I heard three times just now driving cross-town to pick up a burger for lunch?
August 11, 2015 @ 8:11 am
August 9, 2015 @ 4:59 am
Thanks for covering this record – really, really glad to have found it.
August 9, 2015 @ 6:59 am
I listened to the album on iTunes.
First impression, maybe Lindi should have stuck with Dave Cobb, if he was available.
The tunes sound somewhat lifeless to me.
Otherwise, if it’s possible, put together a band, teach them the songs, tour with them for a while, then use them to record the album.
or maybe Lindi is worn out from the grinding life she’s leading, life on the road for years, a woman, probably much of the time alone. gotta wear a person down.
August 9, 2015 @ 7:30 am
Dave Cobb is the producer for part of this album.
August 9, 2015 @ 10:12 am
How many tunes?
watched an interview of her talking about the album, she mentioned other people, but I don’t think she mentioned him.
if he was, he was.
doesn’t change the album for me.
August 16, 2015 @ 6:58 pm
Dave Cobb produced “Run-down Neighborhood,” “I Ain’t the Girl” and “Run Amuck” in Nashville. Colin Linden produced “Ashes,” “Faded Gloryville,” “Tell It Like It Is” and “Half Moon” in Nashville. And “Someday Soon,” “To Love Somebody” and “When You Ain’t Home” were produced by Ben Tanner and John Paul White in Muscle Shoals.
I guess everyone hears things differently, but I hear a lot of life in this album. I hear a lot of Muscle Shoals influence even on the tracks that weren’t produced there.
August 17, 2015 @ 11:51 am
Yes, everyone hears things differently. and same person can hear it differently on different days.
Could easily be I was having a bad day.
glad people are liking it, cause I’m a fan of Lindi.
August 9, 2015 @ 8:16 am
I agree that her cover of “To Love Somebody” is kind of funky, but that is a great song. Covered by both Bocephus (on Family Tradition, no less) and Gram Parsons.
August 9, 2015 @ 9:26 am
I thought it was a cool cover. Hope I didn’t imply otherwise. I know it’s easy to bag on the Bee Gee’s, but it’s hard to deny Barry Gibb can write a song.
August 9, 2015 @ 12:59 pm
My favorite version of that is by Slobberbone. anyone heard Brent Best’s new record?
August 9, 2015 @ 8:44 pm
Totally agree that Slobberbone’s version is the best!
I think the first part of Faded Gloryville will take me a few listens… I usually pay more attention to the overall feel & hooks first, then the lyrics later on. I can see Rundown Neighborhood becoming a cult favorite in many dive bars.
August 12, 2015 @ 1:39 pm
Best cover of the song was done by the late James Carr.
August 14, 2015 @ 12:37 pm
I stand corrected — that is one sweet soulful version! Why haven’t I heard of James Carr before?
August 9, 2015 @ 10:13 pm
Lindi puts on a hell of a performance. Had the chance to see her do a full band show and she was incredible. Had the chance to talk to her after the show and she was incredibly nice and she can do some damage to a Fireball Whiskey bottle.
This is a great album. However it does come off a little more polished and in some ways the raw feeling is maybe a bit more authentic.
But if her voice doesn’t put shivers down your spine you probably are already dead inside.
August 10, 2015 @ 8:52 am
I’ve been a huge Lindi fan for years. I had this pre-ordered months ago (one of very few artists I trust to always put out an amazing album). So coming in you know my bias, but it’s a fantastic album. Can’t wait to see her again on tour.
August 10, 2015 @ 4:54 pm
Ok …so I’m Canadian but that isn’t the reason that I absolutely ADORE Lindi Ortega’s voice . Man THAT is a gift . An absolute GIFT ! It NEEDS to be on mainstream radio everywhere and it needs to be acknowledged as the one in a million voices it is . Saying that , I just can’t quite get on board with the ( to my mind ) overdone retro- raw- sounding production on this and so many other current recordings . For me , Cobb is doing what T-Bone Burnett has been doing for years , production-wise .It isn’t new ….it just isn’t mainstream . I believe Robert Plant , Jeff Bridges and others’ recent projects were T-Bone-guided efforts and I’m mystified by the popularity of this style and approach . Similarly , Buddy Miller produces / records like this . For me – and I want that to be clear – for me this detracts from the overall sound and undermines the vocalist more often than not .
Secondly , I think the material is still lacking . Its delivered amazingly well ….again …those vocals are impeccably wondrous…but I’d like to hear the writing come up a notch . More relate-ability , more imagery ,maybe a little less cliche ? I know I’m going against the grain here and yeah …I’ve been called a ‘ harsh mistress ‘ …but I would love to hear Lindi wrap that incredible voice around something a bit more polished lyrically .
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August 11, 2015 @ 10:32 am
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