Call them country & western, cowpunk, honky-tonk, rockabilly or any combination therein. At their best, the wide-open spaces of the (mythic) western frontier reverberate through big chords, fiery guitars and a backbeat that gallops like a stallion one moment, then frolics like a foal the next. Through it all, Jenny’s vocals whip across the landscape like the wind and, time and again, threaten to lift you from the ground and carry you high into the sky.
For those unfamiliar with Jenny and band, here are the essentials: The Oregon-based group consists of Jenny Don’t on vocals and guitar, Kelly Halliburton on bass, Christopher March on guitar and Buddy Weeks, who took over on drums when Sam Henry passed away from cancer in 2022. They’ve been working the Pacific Northwest circuit for a little more than a decade now, toured Australia and New Zealand to much success in 2022 and ’23, and have released a handful of albums, EPs and singles through the years.
The ten-track Broken Hearted Blue opens with “Flying High,” which races from the gate like a thoroughbred. “I told you that I love you and I would until I die,” Jenny sings, while a fierce guitar attack pushes the song faster and faster. “Pain in My Heart,” which follows, lowers the tempo while upping the honky-tonk quotient. “Jealous Heart” is a stray cat’s blues, in a way, with Don’t admitting to the doubts that work against her in a relationship. “Sidewinder,” an instrumental, opens with a rumbling bass line that channels the Four Tops’ “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” before Link Wray-like guitars rumble in. “Unlucky Love,” on the other hand, marries country to rock in a Lee Hazlewood-inspired daydream.
The title track features more ringing guitars, a shuffling beat and Jenny’s claim that she doesn’t want to fall in love with the one with whom she, obviously, already has. “You’re What I Need” and “One More Night” are tandem tour de forces that, to my ears, conjure Lone Justice; one suspects both are showstoppers in concert.
“My Baby’s Gone” features a Bo Diddley beat and another infectious vocal from Jenny Don’t, with the Spurs romping throughout. The strum of an acoustic guitar opens “Bones in the Sand” before giving way to another reverb stylistic. “I’ve got a fire that burns in me,” Jenny sings toward song’s end, repeating it over and over as if her mantra.
In short. Broken Hearted Blue is sure to win over all who give it a listen.
The Old Grey Cat 