Of Love and Loss is the new album from B.B. Cole and further solidifies her claim as being among the vanguard of modern roots music. It’s an unexpected coup for someone who, superficially, shouldn’t so readily grasp this style. However, Cole does. The new 12-track release continues highlighting the singer/songwriter’s skills with traditional forms while also succeeding thanks to her willingness to dare, challenge, and extend herself. Of Love and Loss’ songs are loyal to their core country music sound, but Cole never resorts to a paint-by-numbers approach. Instead, each of the twelve tracks on her sophomore release is overflowing with unbridled individuality that keeps you coming back for more.
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You’ll likely suspect you’re coming back for more based on the opener alone. “(The Tale of) Lady Primrose” kicks Cole’s sophomore album off in an energetic fashion, and her belief in the song, above all else, explains some of the reasoning behind starting with a duet. Her pairing with alt-country singer/songwriter Marc Miner is an inspired union that deepens the track’s impact. “Poor Beatrice” shares a similar spirit, but they differ in their detail. Cole moves in a much more traditional direction including underlying banjo throughout the recording. The accompanying playing embraces a stronger Nashville vibe than its predecessor.
An underrated part of Cole’s talents is her capacity for surprise. A handful of Of Love and Loss’ songs achieve greater heights thanks to inventive arranging that will catch many off-guard. “Wave of Love” offers a perfect example. It continues pursuing the same dominant classic country sound presiding over a majority of the album’s songs, most notably tossing in piercing pedal steel lines for added measure. It isn’t gratuitous. She exhibits a consistent ability to conjure the song’s range of emotions across an impressive musical spectrum.
However, the concision of her art is remarkable. Her model, Loretta Lynn, legend or no, hadn’t developed so fast by her second album. “Wave of Love”, its successors “The Lion and the Virgin” and “The Sun Song” would alone make for an astonishing EPs worth of material essentially covering the gamut of Americana, particularly “southern” music. “The Lion and the Virgin” is a song that no one else but Cole would write. It spotlights her unique vocal talent for capturing the authenticity of the song’s chosen style while retaining an audible pop feel. There are scattered moments when you may hear echoes of onetime 10,000 Maniacs’ vocalist Natalie Merchant in her singing. Maybe not.
Pedal steel returns with memorable effects during the song “Pour Me a Drink”. However, it doesn’t open that way, and the brief phrase of piano rolling listeners into the opening is a nice touch. The performance achieves a relaxed amble that plays in the song’s favor. This should be a live favorite far into the future. Older listeners may hear a strong Jimmy Buffet-like vibe during the song “She’s Not Gonna Do It”, but Cole stamps it with her personality and countrifies its quasi-Key West lilt. It’s not a throwaway, by any means, and carries enough individuality to encourage multiple listens.
The luxurious sway of the album’s penultimate song, “Hide and Seek”, has a varied and winning vocal melody. Coupling that with a wealth of resonant specific images that virtually any listener will identify with makes for one of the album’s most memorable moments. There’s immense style and depth alike coloring each of the collection’s 12 tracks. B.B. Cole’s Of Love and Loss is easily one of the year’s fully realized releases, and she’s far from a finished product.
Mindy McCall
