Kim Richey "The Collection" (Lost Highway Records, 2004)
A strong set gathering material from four of Richey's albums: 1995's Kim Richey, Bittersweet, Glimmer, and Rise, from 2002. Sticking to her bluesier, rootsier side, this presents a remarkably cohesive picture of a roots rock artist working through familiar territory, yet leaving her own distinctive stamp. With the funky blues licks and laconic, well-weathered vocal style, Richey invites (an admittedly facile) comparison to Lucinda Williams... But Richey's work has an internal quietness and a more consistent sense of introspection to it that Williams's showier, bolder songwriting style sometimes sets aside. Overall, I'd say they did a good job sorting through Richey's catalog to present something that shows her in a rootsier light... Some of the pop stuff comes through as well, but it doesn't dominate, and seems more of a natural outgrowth of her artistic interests than as the veering detours of the old albums themselves.
Kim Richey "Kim Richey" (Mercury Records, 1995)
(Produced by Richard Bennett)
The debut album by this Ohio-born filly is her most mainstream commercial album, opening with "Those Words We Said," a densely-textured, Chris Isaak-y roots-pop tune that became a hit for Trisha Yearwood... The record slips into more lost-love romantic material, bringing to mind Patty Loveless, Mary Chapin Carpenter and the like, and, of course, Ms. Yearwood, who was Richey's biggest champion, taking her song "Believe Me Baby (I Lied)" to the top of the Country charts. Hitmaking success eluded Richey, though -- "Lucky Me," from this album, barely cracked the Top 50, and after that, she drifted into more of an indie/cult artist mode, as well as more decisively into the rock world. Although this record is pretty slick, in some ways it sounds like one of those odd, fish-out-of-water records Nashville can make when it gets ahold of a certain type of roots-oriented artist... Richey had good company, though: Kelly Willis and Shelby Lynne also fell through the cracks in the paint-by-numbers Nashville scene of the 1990s, and like them, she went on to make some of her most challenging material once the pressure to have a hit eased off... Still, lots of people like this record; you might, too.
Kim Richey "Bitter Sweet" (Mercury Records, 1997)
(Produced by John Leventhal)
Nice! This is roots-rocky "Americana" as it oughta be, a well-crafted set of songs which keep your attention and pull you into the catchy choruses. I guess Richey has had more success as a songwriter than as a performer, but I sure found this record to be pretty enjoyable. Producer John Leventhal's work with other artists (notably Mary Chapin Carpenter) has frequently irritated me; here he has the perfect touch. Guess it really depends on who he's working with. Anyway, if you enjoy folks like Lucinda Williams, Robert Earl Keen and Guy Clark, then you might want to check this one out, too. Recommended!
Kim Richey "Glimmer" (Mercury Records, 1999)
(Produced by Hugh Padham)
Kim Richey "Rise" (Lost Highway Records, 2002)
(Produced by Bill Bottrell)
I have to confess, I didn't really "get" this album... The rock-poppisms seemed kind of far afield from her earlier work, and less distinctive as well. It's probably an album I should come back to and give a fairer shake, sometime further down the line... Still, the production seems cluttered and intrusive... and this is a gal who soars when sticking with a clear, sweet melodic line.
Kim Richey "Chinese Boxes" (Vanguard Records, 2007)
(Produced by Giles Martin)
Having all but abandoned her twangy roots, Ms. Richey has settled into a comfortable, unrepentant adult pop mode, aided here by Giles Martin (son of the fabled Beatles producer) who crafts a fine, sturdy pop framework... From an Americana/country perspective, there's not a lot here to hold one's attention, a residual hint of twang, but not much else. But folks who like mellow, melodic pop-rock might really dig it.
Kim Richey's "Thorn In My Heart" (Yep Roc Records, 2013)
(Produced by Neilson Hubbard)
Kim Richey's "Edgeland" (Yep Roc Records, 2013)
(Produced by Brad Jones)
In some ways Kim Richey straddled the worlds of commercial and alternative country -- she made it in Nashville as a songwriter, successfully pitching songs to stars such as Brooks & Dunn, and Trisha Yearwood, but in her parallel career as a performer she dabbled in more rock-flavored material, not too distant from the indie-twang of the Americana scene. For the most, part her own records stayed in Back Forty while naturally, gathering a devoted though modest following. Heres a quick look at her work...
