Through more than 100 appearances on
The Grand Ole Opry
,
Elizabeth Cook
built strong ties to the audience most likely to respond to her debut album. Her voice throughout
Hey Y'all
begs comparison to classic
country
divas such as
Loretta Lynn
and especially
Dolly Parton
, to whom
Cook
pays good-humored tribute on
"Dolly."
Her nasal intonation and Southern lilt bear the ring of authenticity and her writing bypasses contemporary distractions in order to connect directly to a more conservative aesthetic. The results, always agreeable, can be startling when
throws a lyrical curve: The word "virginity" clangs like a dinner bell on the last line of
"Demon,"
a finger-wag warning set to a
honky tonk
saunter. The classic old-time harmonies and medium-tempo
rockabilly
sway of
"Blue Shades,"
the cameo monologue by
Bill Anderson
on the barroom lament
"Don't Bother Me,"
the steel guitars that slither through several tracks, the unabashed if predictable
gospel
hand-clapper
"God's Got a Plan,"
the infectious barn-dance hook of
"Stupid Things,"
and above all her thrilling rendition of
Jessi Colter
's
"I'm Not Lisa"
all affirm the power of unadulterated old-time
and
's complete command of this idiom. ~ Robert L. Doerschuk