If
Joanna Connor has trouble breaking from the indie world into the big leagues, she could no doubt thrive as a songwriter for
Bonnie Raitt, whose inspiration informs
Connor's vocal style, blues-rock guitar approach, and attitude.
Raitt's producers often add a lot of slickness and polish, while
Connor scores points by keeping things slightly more raw. "Fine and Sublime" is romantic blues-rock at its best, but
Connor goes beyond this at times, thinking globally on more than a few occasions. "No Black and White" is a global unity message set to a blend of rock and Irish jig rhythms. "Afrisippi," a colorful tribute to the place where humanity first reared its head, has a South African rolling guitar vibe; it would be better sung than spoken, but
Connor's message is what counts -- all music derives from the same basic spiritual and human source. While
Connor is a solid songwriter, she's also a clever interpreter of soul standards ranging from "Fever" to "Somebody Have Mercy" by
Sam Cooke. ~ Jonathan Widran