Pieta Brown – Remember the Sun  (2007)  
Australian distribution Vitamin Records   
www.vitamin .net.au

It doesn’t get any better than this. That is as long as you are tuned into  bluesy folk rock  alt. country post Appalachia.   Actually , right now, there’s a need for  better sub genre labels for stylish  & sophisticated material like this. 

One moment  Pieta Brown’s  supple  feline drawl  lulls you into a trance state  (Innocent Blue) then next you’re  rolling & pumping  along (Sonic Boom) without noticing you ever changed gears.   She rocks, she’s moody , she’s  cool , she catty  she carry’s you along with every song .

Behind her voice there’s a very tasty melding of laid back twang, chime & jangle, not all at once but weaving in and out as mood requires.  Shining through every now and then are exquisite moments of  J J Cale style guitar jewellery  but provided here by Bo Ramsey.  His multi faceted guitar work  seems pretty essential to the chemistry here as he  weaves a sense of  weightless floating  with  slide, 12 string, acoustic, &  electric  guitars as well as Weissenborn  (whats that?) . His own recent  album “Bo Ramsey - Fragile’  is worth a visit also.

One of many highlights  is “Thinking about Loretta’ … but I’m thinking Lucinda.   Pieta Brown is unique but dwells in a world  Lucinda Williams  carved out.  She would surely take some  pleasure in spawning  descendants like this..   On the other hand Pieta’s actual line of descent is through  bull frog voiced  rocking folker daddy Greg Brown .  He’s another private treasure for many who feel his time is still coming … slowly.  Daughter Pietta, who sounds nothing like her father, may have greater commercial reach  with her  infectious   purrs & mews ….but who can tell …there aint no justice.  Moreover, her new step- mum since 2002 is Iris De Ment.  This is one serious music dynasty evolving here …  would a family album be too much to hope for.  Anyway  being from a song writing family these are all her own songs & she sure inhabits them…as they say ..‘ sometimes i get to close to the sound …sonic boom  ….sonic boom.’

Now in her mid 30s she is a confident , experienced, artist at her seductive peak …do not resist… just listen.

Pieta Brown – Shimmer   2009   Red House Records   (7 tracks)

Recorded over 2 days with producer Don Was adding string bass to  Pieta's voice & Bo Ramsey’s guitar.
Gentler, quieter and even more intimate in feel than ‘ Remember the Sun”.  Hauntingly minimal in fact.   Almost a warm sleepy fireside mood to it.  Less country twang but still that seductive lilt & intonation.  She sounds so close up & alluring you wonder how the object of these love songs is anything other than her slave.

http://www.pietabrown.com/welcome.cfm

LoneTony Joe