Living on Love
Trina Hamlin's latest studio album, Living on Love, has a lyricism that lures you inside her unaffected, beautifully-sung tunes. There is also an ebullience that lifts you, even when the songs are bluesy. Her harmonica playing alone would set her apart but her acoustic guitar is like honey here. Bonnie Raitt comes to mind when listening to the fantastic cover of You're No Good, but you can also hear Amy Ray from Indigo Girls and even Shawn Colvin at times. Too Beautiful, You Can't Remember and You Took My Heart sound wonderful and weave together seamlessly. In Lazy River, the last song, Hamlin's voice ascends to a blues fever, leaving you with just a good feeling. All these songs make you think a little too and yet not too much either. Simple complexity? Complex simplicity? Who cares? It's just damn good music with an upbeat folk edge, sung by an impressive performer with a striking, lovely voice.