The Parlor Room, Northampton, MA
January 24, 2015
by Eric Sutter
Caitlin Canty and her full band played The Parlor Room in
support of her CD release, "Reckless Skyline.” The house gave Canty an opportune venue and the
band gave her lots of room in which to shine. The band included Jeffrey
Foucault on guitars, Bill Conway on drums, Jeremy Moses Curtis on bass, and
Eric Heywood on pedal steel and guitars. These were all great players who
created a strong musical beat. Canty's voice was a refined dusky alto, and
pure. Her lyrical themes hurled words into darkness that gnawed at the hunger
of life in all of us. When she smiled, the audience members melted on "My
Love For You Will Not Fade."
Song after song gave way to a poetic lyrical resonance.
"Get Up" was a rave up alt-country rocker. Within the dark lyrical
landscape, the pedal steel found home in its bright stir of excitement. The
darker toned songs, "Enough About Hard Times" and the ballad
"Wore Your Ring," slowed the energy for enjoyment of lyrical quality.
Her words calm with even phrasing and tone for simple inflection for easy
listening.
However, not all was lost to darkness. "Southern
Man" phrased some bright lines into its narrative from the female perspective.
Another bright moment included the Canty/Foucault upbeat duet "Get Back To
Idaho." The mid-tempo roots rocker "My Baby Don't Care" featured
flashy blues guitar breaks over the rhythm. The cover of Neil Young's
"Unknown Legend" was treated with the sonic beauty of the singer's
voice. Guest artist Kate Lorenz, from the local band “Rusty Belle,” provided
background vocals on certain songs for female harmony.
"True" posed the question, "How can I be true
to you and true to me?" in duet form with Jeffrey Foucault for glorious
effect. The concert closed with the rousing "Reckless Skyline" and
alt-country rocker "I Never." A country weeper encore "Cold
Habit" showcased a pretty Heywood pedal steel guitar sound.
Catch this Vermont regional star on her adventurous glide to
Nashville. She shines light in all the dark places.
