Lindi Ortega’s “Tin Star” Shines Bright
It’s admittedly hard to hold on to your objectivity when this raven from the Great White North rises in song and such a wave of emotion and beauty grips you that your rationality is sent reeling and all your senses are completely submerged and made submissive to her sway. Lindi Ortega is a creature of the darkness. She highlights the beauty in the world not by shining a light on it, but painting the rest black until the beauty is all that is left. She cherishes life by celebrating death. She makes you feel joy by bringing you to tears. She is the antithesis to an obvious, transparent world, all freshly fallen snow and onyx—biting, contrasting, revitalizing the attention to life and its many dark beauties simply by her presence.
Whereas Lindi’s last album Cigarettes & Truckstops had a definitively dark, Gothic tinge, Tin Star is more of an equitable, neotraditional take, though the dark shades still tickle the edges and emerge from the shadows here and there. In fact Tin Star is downright boot stomping in places, traversing the carnivorous streets of Nashville defiantly, taking a trip down to Louisiana to serenade the chorus of songs bleeding through weathered shutters out into the streets, and even to south of the border to find inspiration in the tragic character of Frida Kahlo.
Produced by Dave Cobb who was also at the helm for Sturgill Simpson’s critically-acclaimed High Top Mountain, Tin Star captures Lindi Ortega very much in the current moments of her life as a Canadian songbird with a fiercely independent spirit living amongst the daunting skyscrapers and superstars of Music City. Dare I say there’s even an air of bravado and downright protest in some of Tin Star‘s songs, including the title track:
“Well you don’t know me, I’m a nobody. I sing on the Strip, for a few pennies. I’ve got a busted string, and a broken guitar. I’ve been singing for tips down at the local bar. Like an old tin star I’m beat up and rusting, lost in the shining stars of Nashville, Tennessee Well I wrote this song for those who are like me, lost in the shining stars, the shining stars…
The song “All These Cats” ratchets up the bravado another notch, brandishing balled-up little fists towards any and all Lindi detractors trying to “run her out of town.” Tin Star has some fight in it, some tempo here and there, and teeters towards downright rock and roll in places, like in the desirous “I Want You.” Tin Star is spicy, touching on a wide range of emotions and textures.
Lindi Ortega: Frida Kahlo Meets Wonder Woman Meets Johnny Cash
But the real message and worth of Tin Star lies in Lindi’s poetic disposition, rivaling the wordsmith skills of most any other present-day balladist in its depth and artistic evocation, maybe most evidenced in the song “Something For You” that is appropriately about finding the words to express your true feelings. And as always, Lindi’s voice is both fragile and confident, smoky and pleasantly patina’d; naturally diminishing into an adorable vibrato at the end of phrases to press any and all of your emotional buttons.
Lindi Ortega may see her star as old, beat up, and rusting. But I for one am blinded by its splendor.
Two guns up / Five Stars
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October 8, 2013 @ 9:26 am
Ordered it this morning, can’t wait for it to arrive.
October 8, 2013 @ 9:38 am
Good lord! Too bad she’s so hard to look at!! 🙂
October 8, 2013 @ 9:57 am
Sweet!
October 8, 2013 @ 10:01 am
Whoa. Powerful review. I pre-ordered it and hope to get it in my hot little hands this week. Also, bought my ticket for when she comes through DC in a week and half or so. Oh yeah, I’m excited.
Speaking of new releases by Canadian artists, the Sadies released a new one last week. Haven’t heard it yet, as it’s in my same order that includes Tin Star.
October 8, 2013 @ 12:31 pm
The sadies just keep getting better.
October 8, 2013 @ 10:05 am
Mark my words, her tin star is rising fast.
All three of her recent albums (Little Red Boots, Cigarettes and Truckstops, Tin Star) have been complete home runs.
October 8, 2013 @ 10:31 am
This is a very well done review of a very fine album. Not one bad tune on this album. Which is remarkable in itself.
Her voice, is instantly recognizable, beautiful, and very expressive.
There sure is a lot more going on in her head than there was in mine when I was her age. She’s an intelligent woman.
Thanks a lot Lindi, for the music, and Trig for the review.
October 8, 2013 @ 10:43 am
Can’t wait for this, I love both her previous albums to death. She’s definitely one of my favorites.
October 8, 2013 @ 11:02 am
She’ll be passing through my city at the end of November! I can’t wait for it. I may have only found out about her less than 4 months ago but BOY am I ever glad I discovered her! I believe I have savingcountrymusic.com to thank!
October 8, 2013 @ 11:25 am
Her voice is awesome, kind of like a mixture of Neko Case and Dolly. Man, I wish some of these acts would play by me. One of the drawbacks of living in the middle of nowhere, I guess. Hank3 used to, but we don’t even get him anymore.
October 8, 2013 @ 1:10 pm
I like what I hear it’s on my never ending list of to get cds.
October 8, 2013 @ 1:13 pm
here’s what Lindi said on her facebook page
“Lindi Ortega
Another stellar review of Tin Star from my favorite website savingcountrymusic.com ”
(There are lots of music performances on her page.)
October 8, 2013 @ 2:35 pm
I love this album as much as her last two and your review is spot on. I cant wait to see her in Pontiac, MI- Halloween Night!
October 8, 2013 @ 4:14 pm
Sounds like you are going to have a hard time picking between this one and Sturgill for album of year honors
October 8, 2013 @ 4:45 pm
All of her albums are very good. Tin Star is no exception. Wish I could see her in concert. I’ve watched her on You Tube and she is very good. She is musically gifted.
October 8, 2013 @ 5:17 pm
Bar none, my favorite album of 2013. Had never listened to her before, but played this on a whim, and I did not want to skip a single song. Been spinning it for a few weeks now. Incredible Great write-up, Trig!
October 9, 2013 @ 7:11 am
Then you HAVE to listen to “Cigarettes & Truckstops,” too. Another fine collection.
October 8, 2013 @ 9:29 pm
Like so much of the music you write about Trig, it’s a crying shame that the vast majority will never get exposed to music this good. Definitely one of the best albums if the year. And if there was a SCM producer of the year award, I know where my vote would go.
October 8, 2013 @ 10:08 pm
Undeniable southern hospitality…lovely. Real magic happens when the words fly off the grooves.
October 9, 2013 @ 1:03 pm
Bought it! I don’t know why it took me a day to get around to it! Loved Cigarettes and Truckstops.
October 10, 2013 @ 12:32 am
She’s my dream girl. Every time I hear her sing I fall for her even more lol
October 10, 2013 @ 4:25 pm
dammit, trigg. Now you gonna make me broke and confused cause of trying to find out who has the best album and constantly gotta buy albums. Lindi definitely one of the best artist out there alive. It was cool we gotta check her together earlier this year.
February 3, 2014 @ 1:24 pm
Lindi is playing three shows this weekend with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra Feb 7.
Wpg Manitoba
should be interesting.