Search - Renee Austin :: Sweet Talk

There's a new female singer on the roots music scene as Renee Austin breaks out of blues semi-obscurity with an impressively evocative and eclectic collection of songs sung straight from the heart. The California-born, Texas-bred, and Minnesota-based singer/songwriter---seven of the 11 tunes are Austin originals---has a big, dramatic voice capable of handling almost any type of tune. And that's exactly what she does on Sweet Talk, a wide-ranging sampler of her singing that is not so much blues as blues-based. Austin kicks off things with "Not Alone," creating a harder-edged Staple Singers-style groove, complete with background vocals. "Pretend We Never Met" successfully pairs Austin with Delbert McClinton on a soulful, radio-ready duet, and the funk grinder "Pour the Sugar Slowly" takes the music in yet another direction. Austin romps through the boogie blues of "Bury the Hatchet" with convincing energy but more effectively showcases her vocal abilities in more relaxed numbers, such as the gospel roller "Bottom of a Heart," the piano-driven ballad "Fool Moon," and the jazz-tinged "Unraveling" with its tasteful trumpet work by Dave Jensen. And when the accompaniment is stripped down to a single piano on "Ain't Nobody" Austin is at her expressive best. Too much production and too much of an effort to touch all stylistic bases prevents Sweet Talk from reaching its full potential but as an introduction to the depth and diversity of Austin's virtuoso vocalizing it more than serves its purpose. --Michael Point