[rating=5.00]
In theory, everything about Puss N Boots should be appealing. A trio of women made up of powerhouse songstress Norah Jones with Sasha Dobson and Catherine Popper singing twangy folk songs, both originals and covers from the likes of Rodney Crowell and Neil Young. But on their debut record No Fools, No Fun, more often than not; they just seem to fall a little flat. There’s an ingredient missing here, and it’s not immediately clear what that is.
The group shines when Jones’ smooth, sultry voice is front and center, like on the Young cover “Down By the River”, one of a handful of tracks recorded live, and the classic Wilco favorite “Jesus, Etc.”. And she elevates the harmonies on the cover of George Jones’ (written by Roger Miller) “Tarnished Angel”, also live. Her vocals, though incredibly different from her band mates, are the most defined and the most impressive. The harmonies are a strong point in most of the songs, even the sleepier ones. “Always” features bland verses, but then completely morphs into something better when it comes to the chorus when all three women belt it out together.
“GTO” is a highlight, conveying a gritty sexiness of which the rest of the album could use more. And “Sex Degrees of Separation” has a similar affect, again hitting its peak with wavy harmonies that are dense and rich. Fun could benefit from a few more tunes like “Don’t Know What it Means”, definitely the best offering thanks to its amped up pace, and tinges of rockabilly and gospel, with Jones up front and Dobson and Popper singing backup harmonies. This is livelier fare compared to the rest of the record, with more blood running through its veins, plus it’s an original song written by Jones.
Though covers can be fun, and it’s clear that Puss n Boots was trying to capture the spirit of their live shows, the best tunes are their own. “Always”, “Don’t Know What it Means”, “Sex Degrees of Separation”, “Pines” and “You’ll Forget Me” are originals and you can tell. It’s always cool to see which classic songs inspire artists, particularly when they cover them at live shows, but Fun might have been a stronger record without them. Ultimately, it ends up feeling like the women of Puss n Boots couldn’t decide if they wanted to release a live album or an original album, so Fun is a little murky and inconsistent overall.
Considering these ladies have been performing together for more than six years now, and have recently made appearances all over the US, including one at the illustrious Newport Folk Festival (with a special guest appearance from Mavis Staples), it seems that their recipe for success has been the three of them on a stage, jamming together and singing old country songs. However, as a record, the fun that likely ensues at their live shows just doesn’t come across, even with the inclusion of live recordings. Fun has its moments, but when all is said and done, it leaves something to be desired.
top photo by Richard Ballard
