If Toronto-born folk/country/rock songstress Lindi Ortega’s 2008 EP The Drifter was filled to the brim with promise, then her 2011 LP follow-up Little Red Boots (set for release by Last Gang Records on June 7) fully delivers on it . . . and then some.
In fulfilling the EP’s promise, Lindi simply must share the credit with JUNO Award-winning producer Ron Lopata (Tomi Swick, Simon Wilcox, and Jacksoul), as his focused production exceptionally balances her arresting voice with her unique style of music. However, as fine-tuned as an album’s sound can be, it inevitably must be met halfway by the songs themselves and with Boots, this is thankfully the case.
Across the album’s 41-minute running time, track after track finds Lindi working with an entire array of styles and genres she totally understands — and one need look no further than the album opening single “Little Lie” for proof positive of it. Anchored by a foot-tapping rhythm and fleshed out by a rootsy set of guitars, the gem of a track (which clocks in at a tight two-and-a-half minutes) effortlessly sets the record’s earthy tone. Not only that, it also finds Lindi confidently blending classic blues progressions and country stylings with her personal brand of bittersweet musings — the kind of musings that, again, to use “Little Lie” as an example, vividly cover troubling themes like dishonesty and broken relationships, yet manage to find relative humour in them, as heard in lyrics like “What’s a girl supposed to do when the bitter truth turns into a sweeter lie?”
Although, such clever and witty lines aren’t all Lindi does on Boots, as intimate numbers like “Fall Down or Fly” and the closing “So Sad” find her thoughtfully exploring her more poignant side. And tracks like the charging “Jimmy Dean” have her effectively and convincingly writing in character and delving into other personalities.
All in all, though, colourful and diverse as Lindi’s musical and lyrical palette may be — and as well defined as Lopata’s sound certainly is — it’s the resonating and invigorating spirit with which it’s all crafted that ultimately makes Little Red Boots the satisfying spin it is, the kind that points to even greater things to come.
To kick off her Canadian promotional tour for Little Red Boots, Lindi will be giving a special in-store performance at Hot Topic in the Toronto Eaton Centre on May 26. For further details, as well as general news and tour info, be sure to check out her official site .
Tracklisting:
01. Little Lie
02. When All The Stars Align
03. Blue Bird
04. Angels
05. I’m No Elvis Presley
06. Little Red Boots
07. Dying Of Another Broken Heart
08. All My Friends
09. Fall Down Or Fly
10. Jimmy Dean
11. Black Fly
12. So Sad
