Customer Reviews

The Happiest Lamb [Vinyl]

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"The Happiest Lamb", the title song of this debut album of singer-songwriter Audra Mae, follows her trademark tradition of story-in-a-song. The lyrics are a narration of the world through the eyes of a young lamb, which follows the shepherd-man faithfully, until she notices that "There were all kinda other little pretty young sheep/Havin' all kinda pretty young fun..." It is a humorous piece. "Little Sparrow" is a cover of the title song of a 2001 album of the same name by Dolly Parton. In this song, the vocal of Audra Mae is accompanied by a terse and soulful tune of piano - a departure from her usual guitar accompaniment. "Lightning in a Bottle" is a mournful song about the regret of lost youth, together with its opportunity & vitality - "I made lightning in a bottle/But I forgot the recipe." "Snake Bite" is a ballad on the scourge of drug and drug dealers. "The River" is about washing her sins away and being "born again tomorrow"; it is a story of sin and redemption. "The Fable" is an interesting but sad tale about unacquired love between two wolves, as the chained he-wolf howls in his pan and the she-wolf cries in the forest. "Sullivan's Letter" is based on a note Audra Mae discovered on the back of a piece of music given to her by her father. It was about a letter written by a Civil War soldier Sullivan Ballou to his wife, saying that if he dies in battle, he would come back to her as "a soft breeze upon her cheek..." Sullivan Ballou was killed a week later in the first Battle of Bull Run, July 21, 1861. Another one of my favorites is the mountain song of "Bandida", with its haunting war cries, in the Appalachian folk tradition. Three of the songs in this album, The River, Sullivan's Letter, and The Fable, had previously been published in the 5-song digital EP, Haunt (see my Amazon review @ Haunt).

Audra Mae was born in 1985 in Oklahoma into a musical family. Her maternal great grandmother was Dorothy Virginia (Jimmie) Gumm, who, together with the oldest of the Gumm sisters, Mary Jane (Suzy/Suzanne), and the youngest, Francis Ethel (Baby), performed as "The Gumm Sisters" in musical and dance shows. The group changed its name to "The Garland Sisters" when the name Gumm elicited laughter from the audience, and Baby eventually grew up to be the famous and beloved Judy Garland, who was fondly remembered as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. It is, therefore, not surprising that Audra Mae had inherited the good genes of major musical talents. At the age of 19, she dropped out of college and moved to L.A. to find her fortune. A talented singer-songwriter, she writes her songs in a unique story-in-a-song style, based on things that she sees, hears, and does. Some are from her personal experience; others she makes up to express a thought in her mind. She sings her songs in a rich "whisky" voice, with sparse instrument accompaniment, usually an acoustic guitar and a drum set, sometimes augmented with other instruments like mandolin, accordion, tambourine, piano, and pump organ. She came to fame when she penned the lyrics of "What I was born to be" in the debut album of Susan Boyle "I Dreamed a Dream". Her first known music publication was a 5-song digital EP "Audra Mae", released on April 2009. On October 2009, Audra Mae released a second 5-song digital EP "Haunt" and, on May 2010, her debut LP album "The Happiest Lamb". When she is not making albums, she is on tour performing in front of a live audience. She is slowly building a loyal following. Bill Armstrong, one of the label owners of SideOne Dummy Records, once told her, "This is a slow climb, and we're in it for the long haul, but you never know; you might hit lightning in a bottle." She might have done just that.

Audra Mae is hands down one of the best female singer/songwriters the world has seen in a GOOD, LONG WHILE. Her smoky, bluesy voice goes fantastic with my post-work bourbon. Plus she ain't too bad on the eyes.

Audra Mae is as fresh, true and delightful a voice from America as Adele was from Ireland. It's hard to believe that she hasn't been 'discovered' in a big way yet, but it can't be long! Her smokey, husky voice is unique and soulful, strong, bluesy and just country enough not to be overly so... Her talent is honest - and that makes it engaging. I LOVE this album!

I've been looking at this album for a year and finally got it. I'm on my first listen and I'm blown away. This is really really good. I don't know how she isn't bigger. Amazing vocals and great songs. What a sound. This is the best album I've bought in a while, and that's in some good company. Wow

Loved this CD. Audra Mae is a really talented songwriter and singer. My favorite song is the title song "Happiest Lamb".

Audra Mae is an amazing singer / songwriter. I look for big things from her and cannot wait to see her in person.

Despite the 60s-looking cover art, and despite the folk designation, I took a chance on ordering this cd without any prior knowledge of Audra Mae. I discovered a world-class voice and songs that transcend categories. I purchase a lot of music, but this is one that I wanted to listen to over and over again. What unexpected treasures! Every song became my favorite and several are fixed in my head now, in the best possible way. I wish Audra Mae had a catalogue so I could get more! Overlook the cover photo, which looks like something from Jefferson Airplane in its day, and enjoy the kind of singer that only comes along rarely. Wow!

Happened across The River on the radio, and was totally hooked. Audra Mae has an incredible voice, and her song-writing is inspiring. There isn't a song on this album I don't like. Can't wait for the next one! Keep hoping she'll tour back on the East Coast again soon...