The follow-up album to Gina Villalobos’ acclaimed Rock ‘N’ Roll Pony treads similar ground but manages to outstrip even the considerable achievements of that earlier record. Largely due to its larger, warmer and more confident sound – and of course the quality of songs - it stands to elevate Ms. Villalobos to even greater prominence in the blossoming world of alt.country. If the earlier claims of her being “the new queen of country rock” were perhaps slightly premature, Miles Away proves beyond doubt that she was indeed a princess-in-waiting and is now very much ready to claim the crown.
The album couldn’t possibly introduce itself better, kicking off with two songs each of which perfectly captures a distinct but complimentary aspect of Gina’s music. First up we have the tough talkin’ title track ‘Miles Away’, bouncy, countrified rock with all the essential ingredients – a blend of jangling and twanging guitars, subdued but perfectly pitched pedal steel, muscular rhythm section and a great, joyful vocal performance – it immediately shows just how far she, and her musicians, have come in the relatively short time separating the two albums. In contrast, it’s followed by the gentle, soulful ‘Hard Enough’, showcasing what is fast becoming a recognised GV signature, aching vulnerability and defiant determination nestling cheek to cheek (“I know I’m hard enough / But feel my heart too much / And I beg myself to find enough in me”).
The rest of the album comes tumbling along splendidly with barely a hitch (‘Somewhere To Lay Down, despite great lyrics – “Leave me alone / Leave a bag for my bones / For now I’ll hang off your walls” – and a musical backing that swings slowly to a grumbling bass-line, ‘pops’ of mellow organ and lonesome pedal steel, is perhaps vocally just a little dry?) ‘Face On The Sheets’ is another great rocker driven along by Kevin Haaland’s excellent guitar work. ‘Let’s Fall Apart’ introduces us to a somewhat ‘sweeter’ Gina, her vocals, particularly through the verses, losing their usual rough ‘n’ tough edge to result in one of the album’s vocal highpoints.
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The beautiful melody of ‘Tied To My Side’ after a stripped, acoustic opening, swells on the second verse with J’Anna Jacoby’s subtle violin magically suggesting a whole string section lurking beneath the guitars and drums while once again, Haaland’s lead guitar grabs the central section of the song. Excellent!
Surprise entry is the Gibb brothers (Bee Gees) ‘pop classic’ ‘If I Can’t Have You’ which is given a welcome country-ish twist that converts it into an aching lament that, in terms of performance and style, is expertly and effortlessly made to sound like nothing less than a Gina original. Oh yeah, and yet another ace guitar solo!
The musical support throughout is actually faultless, exhibiting total empathy with the songs and Gina’s voice, so it’s well worth mentioning, by way of a hearty slap on the back, her band, Haaland, Jacoby, Ben Pringle (organ, Wurlitzer), Sean Caffey (pedal steel), Ian Walker (bass) and Anthony Zimmitti(drums).Lucinda Williams comparisons will, I’m afraid, still be inevitable but Gina is altogether tougher and rougher – absolutely fine by me - and when she chooses to she can just as easily melt any old hardened heart.
From the evidence here it’s merely the shortest of steps before reviewers will start referring to Gina Villalobos as the yardstick against which all the new up and coming country gals with guitars will be measured.
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