The Background:
From Elizabeth’s own mouth: For my fifth all grown up studio album, I’m enjoying the journey more and I see how welding continues to shape my life. This record was really tough to make in some ways and really easy in others. It was a cool breeze and a real high to work with Don Was. Like Rodney Crowell before him, he helps me continue to break out of jail. So I bought him a nice key chain. The eclectic cast of pickers on Welder, not only pros, but friends, united to record at last. We all hung out and worked oblivious to the red light pressure. I barely noticed the days of rain while we recorded. Just a week long party with nice carpet and tiny lights, wires knobs and buttons, a stocked fridge, love and luck all around me, plus one really good coffee pot. I drew in, and struck like lightning. From a material standpoint, I’ve never had more to write about…didn’t have to dig too deep at all. For instance, I never thought I’d be singing about my Mama’s funeral. Just never thought I’d write, much less sing, about that. But here it is on Welder…alongside other tales of the harshness and delicacies of romantic and familial love (“Not California”, “Heroin Addict Sister”, “Girlfriend Tonight”), occasionally indulging in the rush of being inappropriate (“El Camino”, “Snake In The Bed”, “Yes To Booty”). As wild a ride as it is, this is the hand the last three years since release of the Balls album has dealt me. Welder is my way of bringing it all together. And it’s just the truth. Though emotional whiplash is a serious condition, as an artist, I’m grateful for experiences that have grown me up a little bit, even if it hurts like hell. And although I didn’t really want to, the fact that I “couldn’t help but look” is what made Welder possible. It’s my damnation and my salvation. And it’s my job. I have to look. I hope the musical journey on Welder brings the condolences that come with sharing, through commiserating about life, in laughter and in tears, for the old fans, the newly added, and the all around music loving public, to whom I’m so grateful, each and every one.
The Review:
This release is a bit of a family affair. A quirky family. “I’m Beginning to Forget’ was penned by Cook’s mother. ‘Heroin Addict Sister’ is one of the stronger (and somber) cuts of the year as it reveals the fears and tribulations of a wayward sibling. And ‘Mama’s Funeral’ is a melancholy look at a day of loss, but not without some southern revelations. But that’s only half of the story- and half of the album. While Welder does a good job of revealing a family of closet skeletons, it’s when she gets silly that she shines the best. “El Camino” is one of my favorite tracks of the year- a 1970’s tale of falling in love with a guy that won’t give up his bell-bottomed mojo. It’s inspired with several lyrics that bring a smile including, “And if I wake up married I’ll have to annul it, right now my hands are in his mullet.” It’s trashy and loose- and genius. She crosses between country and rock and roll seamlessly and benefits from Don Was’ slow rock(ish) production on “Not California.” The only constant on the album is its lack of consistency. But that’s truly okay in this case as each track is unique and engaging enough to stand on its own. And perhaps that was Cook’s goal in tying it together all along.
Sounds Like:
A rockier- and sometimes whispier- Sarah Buxton
Track Highlights (suggested iPod adds):
El Camino
Mama’s Funeral
Heroin Addict Sister
Not California
The Verdict:
Four Stars Out Of Five
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