Sassafrass! (Limited Edition Green Vinyl) - By: Neilson, Tami - Model Number: NR003LP

Description

With her new album, SASSAFRASS! Neilson takes a giant step that should only bring her more widespread acclaim. On this 11-track effort, she places a heavier emphasis on soul music while not abandoning her country and rockabilly roots. Neilson conjures up a wonderfully retro style that sounds like it could be a lost gem from the late ™50s or early ™60s; however, beneath the classic veneer are frank, highly relevant lyrics.

Sassafrass, a slang word for a sassy person who isn™t afraid to speak her mind, serves as a perfect title for this
album. The songs, Neilson admits, reflect her developing a low tolerance for bullsh*t� after years of encountering
sexism in her life. They were also influenced by her being a mother of two young boys as well as by the death of her
father, who led the family™s band, the Neilsons, which was popular in Canada during the ™90s.

Neilson characterizes her new album as a mouthy lovechild of the current social climate and my own experiences as
a woman, mother and daughter.� The songs address the obstacles she has faced simply because she is a female.
It™s also my attempt,� she shares, at challenging a society that doesn™t yet treat women equally in order to shape a
better future for my children.�

On SASSAFRASS! Neilson infuses just enough honey into her tunes to make her messages sound sweet in the
listeners™ ears. She certainly comes out smoking ” in several senses of the word ” on the disc™s lead-off track, Stay Outta My Business.� The sassy, brassy soul number finds her fighting back at trash-talkers in splendidly defiant, hipshaking fashion. The tune Bananas� might initially sound like an amusing slice of tropical exotica, but its message
pokes fun at gender inequality. Similarly, Kitty Cat� comes off as a rollicking rockabilly rave-up on first listen, but its
moral is a reminder that men can™t own a woman™s kitty cat.� Neilson also tackles bad girl/good girl stereotypes and
Hollywood sexual harassment, respectively, on the slinky, smoky tracks Devil in a Dress� and Smoking Gun.�

Neilson offers several poignant tributes as well on SASSAFRASS! The Rosanne Cash-esque country ballad Manitoba Sunrise at Motel 6� was written in homage to Glen Campbell on the day he died. She salutes the late, great Sharon Jones on the high-spirited soul number Miss Jones.� A Woman™s Pain,� a twangy tale told in a style
that recalls Bobbie Gentry, tells the story of Neilson™s first-nation grandmother. She delivers a lovely reading of the
™50s-style romantic ballad One Thought of You,� which was written by her father.

Neilson™s confident vocals are undoubtedly abetted by her being surrounded by familiar collaborators. She coproduced SASSAFRASS! with Ben Edwards, the co-producer of her last two critically acclaimed albums, Dynamite! and Don™t Be Afraid. Backing her up in the studio was her talented band, the Hot Rockin™ Band of Rhythm: JoeMcCallum (drums), Mike Hall (bass), Brett Adams (guitar) and Neil Watson (guitar and pedal steel), who have toured with her around the globe over the past three years. A brass section and strings enhance the album™s classic qualities.

Label
Neilson Records

Tracks & Genre

SOUTHBOUND