Call Upon The Author

‘Wreck Your Wheels’ is the sixth album from Ohio’s Kim Richey, yet prior to being given this album for review I had never heard of her. The accompanying PR information tells me that Kim has been twice nominated for Grammies, has been making music for 15 years, has featured on numerous soundtracks, and had two number ones in America. Given America’s apparent love for the bland, this doesn’t necessarily fill me with hope, but I’m intrigued to give this a listen. So what does she sound like?
The funny thing about this album is that it shouldn’t be my cup of tea at all – ‘Wreck Your Wheels’ is slightly country-ish pop, all gentle melodies, soft acoustic guitar and lyrics about everyday life. In fact, I listened to it in the car amid shouts of ‘boring!’ from my punk-loving husband, and was inclined to agree: however, having given it a fair hearing I have completely changed my mind. This album is really quite lovely, and I keep finding myself with the songs in my head: a genuine surprise, as usually I like much heavier stuff than this. The reason is Kim Richey’s voice: it’s gorgeous. Lovely,pure and resonant, it transforms what could otherwise have been some very generic Americana into something more.
The whole album is dreamy, soft and sweet – there is nothing punchy or powerful on this record at all, but that doesn’t matter. The craft is apparent, with some great bluesy guitar (particularly on When The Circus Comes To Town), note-perfect harmonies, and rustic plinky piano. The lyrics aren’t life changing, with songs about misplacing your Keys, the change of seasons, and having a nap (Leaving 49), but somehow this doesn’t matter either. The whole album hangs together really well as a whole, and the music is a well constructed scaffold for Kim’s clean, sparkling vocals: think Sheryl Crow doing an impression of Lisa Loeb singing Fleetwood Mac songs.
The album peaks (for me) with For A While, a slow and sad piece about heartbreak that is very pretty indeed: poignant and lilting, with really effective drum breaks weaving around the aching vocals. 99 Floors is also lovely, with a real sense of loss encompassed in the sighing guitar and melancholy vocals.
‘Wreck Your Wheels’ is nothing groundbreaking or new, but that doesn’t stop it being a genuinely nice listen. I really like this album, and believe me, this is more of a surprise to me than to anyone.