Trumpeted as the princess of the new wave of polka,
Lynn Marie gained considerable attention with this 1998 release. While polka is at the heart of her music, it's not the oom-pah variety that's been synonymous with polka for decades. Instead,
Lynn Marie incorporates country and Tex-Mex music in subtle and obvious ways into her new polka sound.
One Look begins on solid polka footing with two polkas and a waltz, but the remainder of the album seems to alternate between country and Tex-Mex with Cajun and old-timey touches thrown in for good measure. Her music and her influences seem to parallel those of
Brave Combo but in a much more mainstream and commercial manner. While hailed as an innovator in the category of polka music, nothing found on
One Look hasn't been done before by the likes of crossover artists such as
Freddy Fender and
Jo-el Sonnier. Perhaps in the polka community where the two-step is all that matters this is revolutionary stuff, but to the outside world much of this is simply substandard rehash. ~ Dave Sleger