Wayward Angel [ENHANCED]

Kasey Chambers

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 14, 2004)
• Original Release Date: September 14, 2004
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced
• Label: Warner Bros / Wea
• ASIN: B0002SPPI2
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #19,978 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  Music > World Music > Australia & New Zealand

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
On her third album, Chambers has weathered a storm of publicity and expectation by clinging to her deeply southern--as in Australian--roots. She stands by her Dead Ringer Band kin (brother Nash Chambers produces and father Bill Chambers plays lead guitar), and her delicate songs continue to celebrate the innocence and wonder of loving and being loved. The slight adult-contemporary sheen never outshines the blues and bluegrass flourishes--indeed, "Follow You Home" rips like a Del McCoury breakdown--as she explores all the poetic potential of the conditional voice. "If I were lost would you shout my name out loud?" and "If you were a river run dry, well I'd sing you sweet by and by" are more than coy conceits. They're unforced glimpses of grace, earned by remaining faithful to who she is. Even in a holding pattern, the sweet strength of Chambers's voice and songs find room to soar. --Roy Kasten

Product Description
Kasey Chambers’ third solo album, Wayward Angel, debuted #1 (and remains so over a month later) in her native Australia, where she is a huge star. In the U.S. she has built a solid fan base thanks to touring, critical acclaim and word-of-mouth. Partly born of tradition, partly of the times, more than a little country but with a healthy dose of rock ’n’ roll, Wayward Angel is a singersongwriter album for those who find their musical heaven off the beaten path.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Consistently Close to Excellence, January 15, 2005

By	MZ (Novinger, MO United States) - See all my reviews

I will say this upfront about Kasey Chambers: she consistently creates great albums that are only a few songs away from being excellent. Such is the case with her newest release. When sticking to the Americana-style of roots music, she approaches genius. But her occasional musical journeys into soft pop weigh the entire collection down. Two or three of the songs (including Paper Aeroplane) are bland, and bring nothing new to the listener; at least not this listener. That's fine though; the ten terrific songs are well worth what I paid for the CD.

47 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Wayward Angel" Soars to New Heights of Pleasure, November 4, 2004

By	T. Yap "thy4568" (Sydney, NSW, Australia) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Prime Cuts: Pony, Bluebird, Like a River

Former lead singer of Australian country band Dead Ringer Band, singer-songwriter Kasey Chambers returns with her third solo album, "Wayward Angel." Once again, this Aussie native serves notice by her insightful lyrics and her keening vocals, often compared to a more angst Emmylou Harris with a trace of Iris Dement's nasal tinge. Like all her solo albums, "Wayward Angel" defies any genre categorization: there's a dose of country-pop, a splash of folk, a pinch of rock and definitely a noticeable slice of bluegrass. Nevertheless, regardless of styles, Chambers has an affecting élan and she is never one to be emotionally peripatetic. Rather, you can hear and feel her heart as she sings with her seasoned nuance through these sylvan tunes.

The album opener, "Pony," an understated pop ballad, finds Chambers putting her best foot forward. Unlike her previous self-depreciative hit "Not Pretty Enough," "Pony" finds a femme fatale making her seductive come-ons performed with a confident and enthralling undertone. "Like a River," the first Australian single, is an effervescent country-pop number with a love struck Chambers basking in the euphoria of love. With an infectious melody and Chambers' fervent performance, "Like a River" stands toe-to-toe with any major country product from Music Row. Clamorous for authenticity, sophomore single "Hollywood," a popish mid tempo number, is a desperate and vulnerable plea; you can almost Chambers' heart breaking as she sings, "This ain't Hollywood this is my heart." While traditionalists may feel querulous, "Guilty as Sin" finds a zesty Chambers kicking up her heels on her most rock number to date bolstered by some delightful sounding jaunty guitars.

On the more rustic end, Chambers veers perilously close to Emmylou Harris territory with the heart wrenching "Bluebird." This plaintive country ballad tells the story of an unsavory Chambers questioning the reliability of her paramour's devotion. While the more philosophical "Lost and Found" may not be the best ballad Chambers has had written, but it's performed with verve. Taking a stab at bluegrass, "Follow You Home," boasts some delightful mandolin and banjo solos, resulting in a Rhonda-Vincent-reminiscent piece.

Overall, "Wayward Angel" though marketed as a country album, does not suffer from the Nashville radio gloss. Maybe part of the reason resides in Chambers' insistence that brother, Nash Chambers handles the production. With Nash's deftly touches and Kasey's firm deploy from Nashville's stringent style, "Wayward Angel" truly is an effort that soars well above the escarpments of country music's insipidness.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Kasey's life, music have grown for the better, September 14, 2004

By	Anthony D. Perillo (Cantonment, FL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It's been three years since Kasey's last release, and anyone who has followed her knows how different her life is now than when she made Barricades and Brickwalls. The growth, nurture, and love that's followed since the birth of her son is quite evident in Wayward Angel. The songs, particularly the softer tracks, flow together marvelously and show a maturing artist. There was a complaint by one fan that the lyrics were "too biographical." First, I'm struggling to figure out how that could ever be a negative thing for a musician to convey. And second, Kasey's tales are extraordinary. I literally got chills at the peak of "Paper Aeroplane" and just hope I never hear it at a funeral, or I'll completely lose it. If you catch any interview with Kasey, you can tell that she just knows that she's progressed as a musician in the right direction. One listen to this record and you can tell too.