Mary Lou Lord - Live City Sounds - Rubric Records

Review by: Jennifer Perkins

Probably 10 years, if not close, has passed since the first time I ever heard Mary Lou Lord. I remember my first encounter clearly. Way back when there were paper zines a fellow in Florida ran one called For Paper Airplane Pilots and he used to send me mixed tapes. On one of those mixed tapes was "Some Jingle Jangle Morning" by an unknown Kill Rock Stars chanteuse. I loved her sweet soft vocals and acoustic guitars. Well years later now recording for Rubric Records Mary Lou Lord has not changed much, and I'm glad. There is something quite soothing and nostalgic in her familiar sound. Live City Sounds reminds me of days past as well as makes for a nice soundtrack for future memories.

Where the hell has Mary Lour Lord been is what you may be asking yourself. Well she has been adding guest vocals on River City High Records, having her cover of Daniel Johnston's "Speeding Motorcycle" included in a Target ad campaign, gettin' hitched, havin' babies and according to the press kit with this CD hanging out in subways. That's right, Mary Lou Lord gets back to her busking roots with this record. Live City Sounds was recorded live via portable DAT in the Subway stations of greater Boston. Don't let the live part deter you from this record, besides the endearing banter between songs this CD sounds better than a lot of things I have heard come out of a studio.

The next plot twist is majority of these songs are covers. No not another cliched cover of "Time After Time" or anything like that, covers you would be hard pressed to recognize in the first place. Obscure B-Side covers by bands and artists like The Magnetic Fields, Billy Bragg and The Pogues. Mary Lou Lord seems to have a knack for reconstructing songs to fit her style perfectly, and often these rearrangements are to the songs benefit.

So some 10 years later with Live City Sounds Mary Lou Lord is still cooing over an acoustic guitar, and I for one am quite happy about it. Afterall, if ain't broke don't fix it.