by DK

***** out of ***** stars

Rock edged country music fusing Americana with bar-room blues.

Romi Mayes has been quoted as being one of the hardest working independent singer/musicians in Canada, and at 33 years of age she is not going to slow down, in fact she is already planning her next album for release before the end of 2008.

She is a great guitarist as well as being a top-class songwriter, but it is her strongly emotive vocals that make her stand out ahead of the many singer-songwriter-musicians out there at the moment. Romi can be confused in love on Let Me Run, sounding uncertain about what to do in this wonderful ballad. But then on one of my favourite tracks on the album, The Other Dame, she is sexy and raunchy as she seduces you with a vocal delivery very much like Sheryl Crow. Her vocals are good enough to make this song a hit in my books, but the track is made even better (if that is possible) with some amazing beer bottle slide guitar from the album producer Gurf Morlix.

The title track Sweet Somethin’ Steady is very much a song for the ladies, it is a lively country tune with Romi’s wonderful vocals accompanied superbly by Romi and Chris Carmichael on acoustic guitars, as well as some mighty fine Dobro playing from Dan Walsh.

Dan Walsh shines again on the road song Eight More Days with some wonderful baritone guitar as well as some chain-sawing lap steel, and Romi delights again with her tormented vocals, sounding so much like Emmylou Harris.

Long Way Home is a jaunty waltz with Romi and Chris again showing their worth on the acoustic guitars, and the slower country waltz of On The Corner Of Grant And Alice is also quite splendid.

Another favourite track of mine has to be the album closer Bible, a great country ballad with Romi’s slightly bluesy vocals quite enchanting whilst Dan Walsh is again awesome on the slide guitar. Excellent album from one helluva good singer.