Little Acts Of Treason
A key to the underlying character of Carlene Carter's 1995 album is the presence of former NRBQ stalwart Al Anderson, who co-wrote four of the 12 songs with Carter and played lead guitar on eight tracks. Carter shares the NRBQ philosophy that traditional eccentricities are more interesting than traditional verities, and she marries unpolished garage-rock rhythms to her excitable vocals about the romantic action down at the local honky tonk. She helps her father, Carl Smith, reprise his 1955 hit, "Loose Talk," while her mama June Carter and her stepdad Johnny Cash help Carlene sing her great-uncle A.P. Carter's "The Winding Stream." At the same time, various members of Prince's Revolution band, Tom Petty's Heartbreakers and the Desert Rose Band are also on hand. The result is a vibrant brand of country-rock which has more in common with Chrissie Hynde than Linda Ronstadt.--Geoffrey Himes