Natasha James – Tequila Time

by Janet Goodman

For northern California Americana artist Natasha James, it’s all about the groove; be it a blues rocker, a Tex-Mex toe tapper or a country tune, she comes through with a production that captures the right feel for the song on her latest CD “Tequila Time” on Highway One Records.

There are a whopping 15 songs on this album, 12 of which are self-penned, although the last 5 tracks easily could have been dropped to create a more solid project, leaving behind a questionable outing sung in her lowest register.

Three songs are written by Herman Eberitzsch, who frees up James artistically to explore new avenues of expression, which result in some of her gutsiest performances.  Their irresistible Latin arrangement on kiss-off song “Cheetah on the Run” is pulsing with accordion and sassy fiddle: “Like the sun without the moon/Like a song without the tune/Like the rivers that all run dry/You’re gonna miss me when I say goodbye-bye”.  His countrified “Boy Do We Drink” is one of several drinking songs coursing through this record, and James flavors it with her nostalgic Doris-Day-Que-Sera-Sera sound: “Sometimes I think the day puts a spell on the night/When everything goes wrong and nothin’ comes out right/Sometimes I think the day winds us up too tight/No matter what we do it’s another wasted night”. 

James does have a knack for conjuring up some of music’s most celebrated singers, and these are her coolest vocals moments.  Flashes of Kim Carnes(Bette Davis Eyes) phrasing slithers in like the slide guitar in “Get Out of My Way”: “I was thinkin’ about you/I was thinkin’ about me, too/You got a ways to go before I’m gonna/ Walk my road with you/Hey baby won’t you get out of my way”.  In “Straight to Hell”, James tells the story of the darker side of drinking and other bad choices, with a Loretta Lynn straight-shooter approach: “The moment that I saw you I knew/I was along for the ride/It was the worst possible choice/But that’s something I do very well/I got an uncanny ability with amazing accuracy gone/Straight to hell on the wings of a bottle/Straight to hell with my angels by my side/Straight to hell in fifth gear at full throttle/Straight to hell with my eyes open wide”.  A downright Bonnie Raitt bluesy performance is given in “If You Think This is Love”, one of her best on “Tequila Time”

In the end, when she’s found the right song, the right vibe and the right muse to inspire her, Natasha James sings her way to feeling right at home.

Check out her website: www.natashajames.com