Album Review: Zoe Muth and the Lost High Rollers - Starlight Hotel (Signature Sounds)

For a young singer-songwriter growing up in the Grunge capitol of 1980s Seattle, the Country Music bug came early to Zoe Muth, by way of an early interest in the ideals of Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly and The Carter Family but with the vocal delivery of something closer to the likes of Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline. With her band The Lost High Rollers, named after a lyric from Townes Van Zandt's No Lonesome Tune, the ten songs on STARLIGHT HOTEL maintain a strong country flavour throughout, largely due to the fine pedal steel playing of Dave Harmonson, with sharp lyrics and accessible melodies.  

Starting with an almost mariachi feel on the trumpet-led I've Been Gone, the song points us in the general direction of the Texas borders and keeps us pretty much in the Southern states throughout the record on songs like New Mexico and Before the Night is Gone. The songs demonstrate a highly cinematic scope with references to work, railroad tracks and Elvis on the car radio and all that road going; a sense of the great American landscape. Co-produced by Martin Feveyear, the album also features Dave Harmonson on guitar, Ethan Lawton on mandolin, Greg Nies on drums and Mike McDermott on bass with further contributions from Billy Joe Huels on trumpet and backing vocals courtesy of 'The Starlings' Joy Mills and Tom Parker.