Eilen Jewell New Release Reviewed
Eilen Jewell’s New Album
‘Get Behind The Wheel’
Out Now Via Signature Sounds
By Rob Dickens
It was indeed fortuitous for us at Listening Through The Lens that we were party to Eilen Jewell‘s live set at the Port Fairy Folk Festival just seven weeks back (READ OUR FESTIVAL REVIEW). As you would expect, she would be keen to showcase at least a couple of the new songs from Get Behind The Wheel prior to its official release on May 5, 2023.
“Crooked River” and “Could You Would You” were two of the new songs Jewell and her wonderfully competent and enduring three-piece backing combo presented and they certainly packed an emotional punch in a darker hue. Jewell’s marriage to her husband, co-parent and bandmate fell apart relatively recently and the impact of that posed serious, potentially fatal, threats on her career.
The new record, therefore, documents some dark moments – loss, grief – but also exhibits the tenacious resilience of pulling through to better times. Get Behind The Wheel was co-produced by the master multi-instrumentalist and collaborator Will Kimbrough and it’s a splendid addition to Jewell’s already impressive catalogue over ten albums. It’s weighty without feeling weighed down, ultimately a tale of a strong woman winning against the odds. It’s a biting convocation of yearning love songs, bitter blues, Mexican flourishes, smooth swing and classic country, one that lyrically goes beyond anything she has done before – case in point “The Bitter End”:
“So this is how it slips away
With a whimper and a bang
This is how our banners fade
Caught in the devil’s own parade”
Get Behind The Wheel is another ‘Jewellian’ exultation that repeatedly rewards the listener.
Get Behind the Wheel Tracklist:
Alive
Crooked River
Lethal Love
Come Home Soon
Winnemucca
Could You Would You
Breakaway
You Were A Friend Of Mine
Outsiders
Silver Wheels And Wings
The Bitter End
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Eilen Jewell New Release Reviewed
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