Album Review: Roots

Roots

Artist: Joyann Parker

Label: Hopeless Romantic Records

Released: 2023

Number of Tracks: 15

Duration:

Website: https://joyannparker.com/

Review by Charles “Dutch” Metzger and Tom “Trashmouth” Baker

Joyann Parker and 15 others perform on Roots, her 3rd album, which will be released in September 2023. This follows her 2021 album “Out of the Dark” and her first album released in 2018, titled “Hard to Love.”

Tracks 1 and 2, Roots and Faintly Optimistic are blues with a rock influence. Track 3 is slow blues with a touch of gospel ala Aretha Franklin titled Wash it Away. Track 4, Closing Someone Else’s Blinds, comes in with an old soul influence. Track 5, What’s Good for You, is semi-rock with great lyrics. Track 6, Juxtaposition, is a cut with rock, soul, and a touch of New Orleans blues. Track 7, Old Flame, once again has an Aretha feel with a different voice register. Track 8, Ain’t Got Time to Cry, feels “swampy” with a Latin beat. Track 9, Forsaken, feels like we are in the delta with bluegrass flat picking. Track 10, Miss Evangeline, follows Ron De Vincent, and the Rage Truck on Going Under, Track 11, and both sound like Bonnie Raitt singing gospel. Track 12, Stay Home Mama, comes in very nice with good stops. Track 13, Sconnie Girl, which is slang for a Wisconsin native, obviously shadows Little Feat and was our favorite track. Overall, we rate it a 3.5 out of 5.