“Whatever happened to good old rock & roll” are the first words
Crystal Bowersox sings on her debut,
Farmer’s Daughter, thereby succinctly summarizing her appeal on American Idol. During season nine of the long-running televised talent show,
Bowersox was the earth mother who placed second to
Lee DeWyze’s hammy smarm, providing a port in the storm for lovers of good old rock & roll, the kind they made back in the late ‘60s.
Crystal’s idol was clearly
Janis Joplin -- she auditioned with “Piece of My Heart,” she never strayed far from a throaty blues growl -- which in modern terms translates to something halfway between
Melissa Etheridge and
Sheryl Crow, two artists whose well-manicured roots rock echoes on
Farmer’s Daughter.
Bowersox possesses a charisma that’s tangible on record, helping to pull a listener through the songs, almost all penned by
Bowersox herself. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine