Mary Lou Lord

Mary Lou Lord | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 6, 1995)
• Original Release Date: January 10, 1995
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Kill Rock Stars
• ASIN: B000003736
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #316,969 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Move over Juliana Hatfield, here comes another airy-voiced Bostoner to ride the indie train nonstop to pop stardom. Well- connected on both coasts, on the hometown scene as well as in her adopted northwestern haven of Olympia, Washington, Lord is climbing the ladder of success and further blurring the definition of the alternative nation. With her cutesy siren and bubbling ambition to unseat Courtney Love as queen of nevermind, she's a major label recording artist waiting to happen.

For now, though, she's just a hip, young folksinger in the grand old tradition of her buddy Beck, who turns some typical folky tricks on her self-titled debut minialbum. Of the eight tracks, seven are self-accompanied only by acoustic guitar , five are covers, and one is the sort of outsmarting tongue-in-cheek social commentary you'd expect to hear at coffeehouse open-mikes.

The funny one is called "His Indie World" and is Lord's explanation of why "I don't fit into this indie scene," complete with rhymes like: "Just give me my Joni, my Nick, Neil, and Bob/You can keep your Tsunami, your Slant 6 and Smog." It's better than most novelties, but ultimately just a novelty. The real centerpiece of the album is a full-band electric version of The Bevis Frond's "Lights Are Changing." A well-chosen cover given à la mode grunge guitar/modern rock treatment, the track relegates Lord to "vocals and air guitar" in front of a six-piece band and thus prepares her for the day she becomes the Belinda Carlisle of the 90s. --Roni Sarig

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars must have - one of the all time great albums, October 13, 1999

By 

D. Cluchey (Pownal, Maine) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mary Lou Lord (Audio CD)

This album was a whimsey purchase that quickly became a staple of my music collection. Mary Lou Lord's voice is awesome - and this album has that extra something that sets new artists apart from the tired 2nd and 3rd albums. Every song totally rocks - be prepared to play it constantly

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best cure for a cold night at Park Street station, April 26, 1998

By 

[e-mail] is Adam Bartolik (Denver, Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mary Lou Lord (Audio CD)

The only good things about riding the Boston subway are the hot dogs at Government Center and the endless parade of fresh talent performing on the platforms. No matter what sort of day you've had, it's always a welcome sight to see Mary Lou Lord setting up her amplifier. The set on her debut CD puts you right there in the station, passing time while you wait for the train. Most tracks are recorded only with vocals and acoustic guitar, and it conveys the soft simplicity and humor that are most appealing aspects of Lord's presentation. You sometimes make a connection with a live performer who's singing your request, and it comes across well here. A listener can feel that songs like "I'm Talking To You" and "That Kind Of Girl" are being sung only for you, on a warm spring evening at the station, with only a smattering of bystanders tapping toes and dropping a dollar in the guitar case. It's unfamiliar to listen to Mary Lou singing with accompanyment on songs such as "Helsinki," but it's something to adjust to as she gains more recognition as an artist. "Mary Lou Lord" is, at its best, a way for you to remember in five years what this soft voice sounded like before all the deserved attention came her way. Also, if you aren't fortunate enough to see Mary Lou Lord performing under Boston (which she still does regularly), you can always pop this CD in, put on your headphones and feel the warmth in her voice. Just don't get carried away and throw your spare change on an empty platform.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars personal and honest, May 2, 2000

By 

Charles R Gigante - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mary Lou Lord (Audio CD)

Mary Lou Lord grew up in the town next to my hometown in Massachusetts, so there's a certain vibe that i just understand about her and the music. The Boston music scene is a dynamic one, giving us music by very honest, hardworking people...much like the city itself. Its this level of innocence and truthfulness that makes Mary Lou Lord's EP so sweet. The songs are simple and pure, with enough indie sensibility to please everyone from Sleater-Kinney fans, to Ani Difranco fans. I am not saying there is anything musically the same between these artists, but there is that very honest vibe that all these artists give off, including miss Lord. All tracks, with the exception of one, are just her and her acoustic guitar. My favorite track, hands down, is "He'd be a Diamond", a cute indie-meets-folk love song. A little humor, perhaps poking fun at herself, is "His Indie World", a track that uses the names of all the then-current indie rock gods in a great melody and simple chord progression. I have to say that every track is fabulous in its own right, and that Mary Lou Lord is a true independent songstress with great pop sensibilitiy and charm. A couple years ago, I was randomly walking down third street in Santa Monica, California, and saw a street performer. I walked up to listen to her, and to my surprise, it was Mary Lou. Its this kind of attitude that makes Mary not a rock star, but a true indie-folk troubador.