Allison Moorer’s latest album, The Duel, sounds fresh and exciting and at times shows flashes of brilliance. The Southern diva got her break when a collaboration she did with Gwil Owen, A Soft Place To Fall, was included in the Robert Redford film, The Horse Whisperer (1998). She has been on the national music scene now for six plus years and has put out five good, if not great, country-rock albums. The Duel is her first for Sugar Hill Records and features a brand new backing band led by the versatile R.S. Field on drums, who provides the steady backbeat throughout.
Moorer’s songwriting leans towards simple, but that’s not to say her songs are bland. In fact, I found myself captivated for nearly all of the album’s forty-three plus minutes. The most beautiful example of the minimalist songwriting approach can be found on the title track, which features Moorer’s delicate piano skills accompanied only by her sometimes sweet, sometimes chilling voice, and semi-famous jazz saxophonist Sonny Red, who makes a delightful appearance here on harmonica.
Though the album is probably filed under country at your local record store, it might feel more at home in rock, or at least progressive country. The mid-tempo rocker "All Aboard," for instance, brings to mind Sheryl Crow, while “Melancholy Polly” and “One On The House” mirror the story telling ability of Lucinda Williams. One of the fun surprises of the album is “Louise Is In The Blue Moon,” which plays like a country-rock version of Jefferson Airplane’s psychedelic romp, “White Rabbit,” sans the mind-blowing crescendo.
While most of the album seems to hit the mark, The Duel does have its down moments - though few and far between and never hit rock bottom. The lyrics to “When Will You Ever Come Down” come off sounding slightly cliché and tired, but the song is still worth a good listen as Moorer has the ability to phrase the lyrics in such a light that it seems new and suddenly worthwhile. The Duel is a very accessible album for music fans from many walks of life, and should not be taken lightly.
