Face of My Hometown

Amazon.com
The vaguely twangy pop on the Countrypolitans' sophomore disc has nothing to do with the layered, string-laden sound that Billy Sherrill and others brought to Nashville in the late 1960s and 1970s and for which the group is named. Yet the Portland, Oregon, quartet would benefit from a shot of the bravado that fueled Sherrill's over-the-top productions. From songs to lyrics to playing, the band is solid in every way, but never more than that. The plight of singer and songwriter Elizabeth Ames is illustrative: While her voice is unfailingly smooth and pretty, it's also a bit shallow, a little too clean, and oh-so-straight. As a result, she's unable to convincingly convey the ache of her prodigal-daughter ballad "Face of My Hometown" or the bluster begged for by the come-on anthem "I Wanna Score." --Anders Smith Lindall

Tracks:

I Can't Stop You
Falling At Your Feet
Maybe It's You
After You're Gone
Face Of My Hometown
Kind Of Funny
Hurricane
LA Turnaround
Designated Driver
I Wanna Score
Faith

Amazon.com

The vaguely twangy pop on the Countrypolitans' sophomore disc has nothing to do with the layered, string-laden sound that Billy Sherrill and others brought to Nashville in the late 1960s and 1970s and for which the group is named. Yet the Portland, Oregon, quartet would benefit from a shot of the bravado that fueled Sherrill's over-the-top productions. From songs to lyrics to playing, the band is solid in every way, but never more than that. The plight of singer and songwriter Elizabeth Ames is illustrative: While her voice is unfailingly smooth and pretty, it's also a bit shallow, a little too clean, and oh-so-straight. As a result, she's unable to convincingly convey the ache of her prodigal-daughter ballad "Face of My Hometown" or the bluster begged for by the come-on anthem "I Wanna Score." --Anders Smith Lindall

Customer Reviews:

Kind of Funny, Kind of Sad.......2002-10-11

Countrypolitans are in complete control of their talent. The band has sacrificed some of the retro honky tonk feel that made Tired Of Drowning such a great CD, for a grittier, slightly more rock oriented feel. But the songs are so good and the playing so enthusiastic that it seems like a natural progression rather than a band changing its sound just to keep relevant. This is a 'great leap forward' in terms of recording quality, song structure and lyrics. Elizabeth Ames is confident and brassy without ever oversinging. My biggest complaint is that steel guitar player Peter Burak has a less prominent role here.

It's almost pointless to name highlights, although 'After Your Gone' and 'Kind of Funny' are really, really top notch, melancholy country pop. I've been into the whole "alt-country" thing for a couple of years now, and the Countrypolitans are as good as anything I've heard.

I admire Bloodshot Records' stable of alt.country divas, (Case, Hogan, Timms, etc) but they all sound--at some level--manufactured...as in "she's got a great voice, now what do we do with her."

Countrypolitans know how to get it done.

Kind of Funny, Kind of Sad.......2002-10-11

Countrypolitans are in complete control of their talent. The band has sacrificed some of the retro honky tonk feel that made Tired Of Drowning such a great CD, for a grittier, slightly more rock oriented feel. But the songs are so good and the playing so enthusiastic that it seems like a natural progression rather than a band changing its sound just to keep relevant. This is a 'great leap forward' in terms of recording quality, song structure and lyrics. Elizabeth Ames is confident and brassy without ever oversinging. Steel guitar player Peter Burak seems under-utilized, however.

Countrypolitans know how to get it done.

Send the kids out to the yard to play..................2002-04-09

Okay, all you children take your Britneys and Faiths and Pinques into the other room. Go on now, the adults need to talk and we've got some new tunes to talk about. This new disc by the Countrypolitans is indeed an adult affair. Not adult as in X-rated, adult as in been around the block more than a couple of times. When I was a youngster I didn't want to hear anything from the voice of experience, had no use for it and couldn't have understood it even if I tried. It's now that I've been around for awhile that I can hear what that voice has to say. I'm no songwriter, I've tried and come up short. So I tend to lean towards those who do it well, people who have lived some life and are brave enough to report back about it honestly. People I can compare notes and stories with and find something to get me through another day. Maybe even learn something I need. That's what you get with this new disc. This is not about boot scootin' across the kitchen floor, it's about life as a grownup. Most of the band from the first disc is back and they do a fine job although I do miss Clarkson's fire on the guitar. But that's not too big a deal, this CD is about the songs far more than the playing. And lord, isn't Elisabeth singing them well? She's really doing some things with that voice, makes the hard stuff easier to hear. But it's way late at night now and I think I'll go listen to her sing some more.

You Will Score...If you Take this CD home.......2002-04-01

This is a Roots based Country Rock band led by the voice of an angel in Elisabeth Ames. She teams with bassist Roger Conley to write all the songs. From the hypnotic "LA Turnaround" to the rockin' " I Want To Score" there is no filler on this CD. This is a a full 48 minutes of great tunes. If you want to add somthing fun and fresh to your CD collection this is it.

Country-Northwestern.......2002-03-30

I just finished listening to the "Face of My Hometown" by the Countrypolitans, and I must say I quite enjoyed it. The style of the music is very individualistic, miles away from whatever it is that passes for commercial country music these days, and it is different from most "roots" music you here. What they have done, like so many other West Coast musicians, is reinterpret country music and redefine it from their own experiences and their very different musical backgrounds. If this bears little relation to Nashville music, so be it. Instead of Shania Twain, I think of Emmy Lou Harris when I hear Beth Cole's voice and her songs -- thoughtful, intelligent and often introspective.
I particularly liked the title song, "Face of My Hometown" which avoids the triteness and syrupy nostalgia of other paeans to small town life. Another noteworthy song is "Falling At Your Feet" which has a bluesy feel that reminds me of Bobbie Gentry's "Ode to Billy Joe". Each song is carefully crafted, and the arrangements are nonintrusive. This is obviously a group project with each of the members contributing their individual styles to the final product. This is a good CD, and I recommend it.

Music Album:

Music Album