Recorded by British singer/songwriter
Jaki Whitren when she was just 19-years-old,
Raw But Tender is a superb debut album that has achieved a cult status in the years since its release in 1973. Featuring
Whitren's soulful, bluesy and melodic vocal style, the album captures her earthy virtuosity and brings to mind a unique mix of
Joni Mitchell,
Janis Joplin, and
Nick Drake. As well as having written most of the material here,
Whitren was a multi-instrumentalist and can be heard playing guitar and banjo on what are often country-inflected folk-rock style songs. Fittingly, backing
Whitren are a handful of members of
Southern Comfort and
Fotheringay, as well as legendary British session guitarist
Albert Lee. ~ Matt Collar