The content is better than the cover (which is meant to be ironic). GINA FORSYTH
Promised Land
Waterbug 0101
* * * ½
Remember how your mother told you not to judge a book by its cover? Mom’s advice works well for music as well. I was unfamiliar with Gina Forsyth’s music and a curmudgeonly cover and song titles such as “Lord Have Mercy,” “Sweet & Sunny South,” and “We Will Be Reborn” made me suspect I was in for a Baptist accounting of my iniquities. This makes me guilty of the sin of presumption and Ms. Forsyth of insufficient telegraphing of irony. This collection from a native daughter of New Orleans is a delightful mix of sardonic humor, country sweetness, Cajun insouciance, and snarkiness, with occasional forays into delicacy. Both the material and Forysth’s voice reminded me a bit of Cheryl Wheeler, though Ms. Wheeler certainly has more range. The songs? As Forsyth put it, her intent was to present the Promised Land in four chapters: America itself, pre-and post Hurricane Katrina, and “transformation.” That song “We Shall Be Reborn?” It owes more to Howard Zinn than to Pat Robertson. “Sweet & Sunny South?” Call that one a love-hate relationship populated by colorful characters, some lovable and some loathsome. In fact, Forsyth delights in opposites; she has the wisdom to see America as a place of great promise, but also one of slap-you-in-the-face disappointments, so you might as well have some humility when things go right and keep your sense of humor honed to take away the sting when life goes wrong. And when all else fails, party a bit (“What I Did on Mardi Gras Day”).
I liked this recording way more than I thought I would, though I could have done without “11 Days,” a song about her medical woes. I’m not squeamish about the (over-sharing) medical details, but I did find the June-spoon-moon rhyming scheme hard to stomach. Check out Gina Forsyth. Not only does she sing some fine songs, she scratches out a heck of a Cajun-style fiddle.
When you check her out, skip YouTube. The videos there are of such poor quality that you won’t get a fair sample. Instead go to Forsyth’s Webpage and check out the title track. __Rob Weir
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