[.ca] Koala Motel

From Amazon.com:
It's easy to hear why Lucinda Williams (who contributes harmonies here to the haunting "Hellfire Raiser") is such a fan of Australian transplant Annie McCue. Both draw inspiration from country, blues, folk, and classic rock in material that can have a hard edge and a tender heart, with lyrics that show a writerly eye for detail. Yet McCue isn't simply a Lucinda knockoff, but a triple-threat artist--as a singer, songwriter, and electrifying guitarist--who shows considerable command, range, and promise. With vocal support on various tracks from X's John Doe, Heart's Nancy Wilson (who also contributes mandolin), and Jim Lauderdale, highlights include the cinematic opener "Driving Down Alvarado" (with its echoes of the Doors' "Riders on the Storm"), the stripped-down acoustic intimacy of "Sweet Burden of Youth" and "Coming to You," the propulsive urgency of the apocalyptic "Any Minute Now," and a down-and-dirty cover of Tony Joe White's "As the Crow Flies." By the time the twangy atmospherics of the instrumental title track close the album, McCue has covered a considerable expanse of musical territory and made it all her own. --Don McLeese

• Driving Down Alvarado
• From Bakersfield To Saigon
• Bright Light Of Day
• Hellfire Raiser
• Sweet Burden of Youth
• Coming To You
• Any Minute Now
• Jesus' Blood
• Shivers
• As the Crow Flies
• Lay Me Down
• Koala Motel