Clelia Adams-Wildflowers CD Review
Clelia Adams
Wildflowers
Self-released CA2008
*1/2
Misguided release featuring a lack of innovation fails to deliver
Though a well-intentioned collection, gathering together a decent number of country standards and contemporary classics, this is one of those misguided projects which brings nothing new to much-loved material. Italian-born Australian Clelia Adams clearly feels great affection towards the songs on her fifth studio album, and credits them with inspiring her own decision to pursue a musical career, but to tackle Hank Williams’ Honky Tonk Blues or the Louvin Brothers’ If I Could Only Win Your Love is to take on a formidable challenge. Adams is a competent enough performer whose warm, rounded vocals suit lighter and sweeter numbers such as When You Fall In Love (Everything’s a Waltz), or Love and Happiness from the Emmylou Harris/Mark Knopfler collaboration ALL THE ROADRUNNING. She also brings an easy swing to the more upbeat of her four originals, We Gotta Live With Stuff and Uncle Tony’s Ute, but the simplistic writing here suffers by comparison with that of the songs’ classier neighbours. A particular failure is Adams’ rendition of Gillian Welch’s beautifully delicate One Little Song; the saccharine arrangement suffocates it and tries to find sentimentality where there is none. From Lefty Frizzell’s I Love You a Thousand Ways, through Kieran Kane’s Somewhere In the Middle to the traditional Wayfaring Stranger, the lack of innovation means there’s little to interest genuine fans of high quality classic or contemporary country. Helen Carney