Mary Lou Lord: Baby Blue : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Just as the Kodachrome nature studies in the CD booklet suggest, urban street singer, former subway busker Mary Lou Lord fits most comfortably surrounded in serene, bucolic wonder. Her voice is high and unmighty, naturally attuned to simple folk-pop melodies and lo-powered arrangements. Here, surrounded by a modest supporting cast of acoustic guitars, violin and unobtrusive backing vocals, she sets loose on the Nick Saloman catalog with fruitful pit stops into Badfinger (the title track) and Pink Floyd (a modest reading of "Fearless" from 1971's Meddle). Saloman, best-known as psychedelic revivalist the Bevis Frond, never imports his own fuzz-heavy Jimi-wahs, but rather chaperones with a light natural touch, ably collaborating with Lord on two standouts "43" and "Turn Me Round" and adding just the right amount of rhythmic oomph to Lord's sole original "Long Way From Tupelo." No need for Lord to walk those country lanes alone. She's found the perfect partner.

ROB O'CONNOR
(March 8, 2004)