Esther Sparks & The Whiskey Remedy
Back To Life
Independent/Round Barn Recordings
4 out of 5 stars
It’s almost cliché that the best art is inspired by the hardest struggles, but Esther Sparks & the Whiskey Remedy have certainly brewed a tasty batch of lemonade from the lemons that life handed them.
Back to Life is a collection of 10 songs written over the last eight years, where Sparks was continually hit with one battle after another — hurricanes, cancer, suicide, separation, unemployment, betrayal, foreclosure, food stamps, forgiveness and finally, redemption. The album consists of the studio recording of the title track, as well as nine live tracks ‘secretly’ recorded at a Colorado Springs concert.
Spark’s huge vocals and sad but hopeful lyrics are at the forefront of the recording, but the understated accompaniment works to prop the songs up to higher pedestals than they would perch upon with just a solo acoustic guitar. — BFJ
:: Pioneer Inn :: September 13::
