Amy Ray
Amy Ray’s solo albums have indulged the punk spirit that lurks underneath her work with Georgia duo the Indigo Girls. On her own, Ray unleashes a rebel yell through insurgent rock styles from rockabilly to reggae. Didn’t It Feel Kinder, released on the label she owns, is her third and best album, one that shows she’s best appreciated as a one-person Clash with musical ambitions rooted in defiance and self-reliance.
The songs reflect her lifelong activism, including gay rights (“Cold Shoulder”), unholy wars (“Who Sold The Gun”) and censorship (“SLC Radio”); it might be boilerplate stuff if not for the way she wrestles personal grit from the subjects. Musically, Ray sticks to roots-rock fundamentals, creating beat-happy riffs (“Bus Bus”), midnight soul (“Birds Of A Feather”) and sunny rockabilly (“Cold Shoulder”) delivered with Buddy Holly’s jerks and ticks. Unlike typical fare that comes from discontent, Ray finds the heart of the matter and makes it universal.
Her music-veteran status lends authority to these songs. “SLC Radio”, a bookend to “The Kids Are Alright”, solicits heartland teens “to lend a hand/Bend an ear in God’s land.” The song that towers highest is “Stand And Deliver”, which blossoms into a chorus of multiple harmonies; it’s a pop song big enough to fill a stadium without losing its way.