by Janet Goodman
Country artist Aly Cook is a striking blond New Zealander and left-handed guitarist whose debut release is a collection of eight co-written songs titled “Brand New Day.” A Mary Travers (Peter, Paul and Mary) look-a-like with a cocoa-warm alto, this singer/songwriter, under the direction of producer Alan Jansson, explores several country music styles.
Traditional-country story song ”Ruby Jean” features fiddle and stand-up bass, and “Grow” finds the singer backed by banjo, mandolin and irish bodhran. Cook’s vocal clarity comes through on “Midnight Sun,” where she gives just enough falsetto to make listeners crave for more, but the groove is occasionally jarred by background vocals and cowbell that are way far front in the mix.
Lone Nashville-recorded, country pop offering “Country Storm” showcases Cook’s vocal strength in a solid chorus, where she uses the weather metaphor to predict how she’ll hit the international music scene. Quite believable on sexy blues-pop “Laughing in Silence,” Cook hits her home run on the pedal steel-dripping, Sheryl Crow-vibed “Spend It.” Bending the notes in all the right places in the catchy melody and sassy lyric about money woes, this bluesy country attitude is so attractive and so missed at radio that the Kiwi artist should consider this direction for her next project.
Visit her website at www.alycook.com
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