PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
With a full band now behind her smoky blues acoustic sounds, this sassy Glaswegian burd carries a swagger about her and her tunes that is brought to the fore with her debut EP release, The Titan Sessions.
For those of you not from this little part of the world of ours, the West of Scotland and Glasgow in particular that is, you may not know much about the smooth rockin’ sounds of Christie and her crew. Those of us in this area who love our rock though are fiercely protective and proud of the talents on display both musically and vocally here. Working closely with Roddy Mac (Attica Rage – 88MPH) in the past year or so her sound has grown dramatically with the inclusion of a full band behind her.
She’s had some real high profile gigs over the past few years including opening for Toyah Wilcox, Aussie superstar Jimmy Barnes, Toby Jepson, Steve Conte of New York Dolls, Simon McBride, headling Les Fest, a DF handpicked singer/songwriter showase in King Tut’s in Glasgow and many, many more. It’s safe to say that we reckon her star is on the up and up!
So what exactly does The Titan Sessions provide your ears? This is wonderful, easy going rockin’ blues with the odd dose of country and pop elements thrown into the mix alongside a good dose of attitude. The music is brilliant, but Christie’s vocals really make the tracks stand out. Sharleen Spiteri meets Gwen Stefani with a touch of Johnny Cash devil may care attitude is probably the best way I can describe her approach to the tracks on the album. The richness and depth to her voice belies her years.
Hound Dog’s Moon kicks the album off with attitude and an almost impertinent snarl as it rolls into a groovin’ blues rock sway before rolling into Black and Grey, an uplifting country number that reminds me of Texas, Del Amtri, and Aerosmith pulling their big old power ballads out the hat. Bad Girl Boogie brings a bit of sassyness to the table along with a real catchy and cheeky chorus lick before As Good As I Am hits you with a fistul of attitude again and a huge chorus.
The EP closes off with Christie showing her softer side with the beautiful Oceans Away before ending on a melancholic high (if that’s possible?) with Eye for an Eye. This final track calls to mind the likes of No Doubt and in particular I find myself drawn to compare her vocals to Gwen Stefani. It’s a huge track to end on and one that feels packed with emotion. Definitely my most favourite on the album.
You know what else is pretty damn stunning about this album? It was recorded live, in the raw, all in the one room. It captures the spirit and essence of Christie’s voice and her music perfectly and is testament not just to her, but of course the musicians surrounding her and the work of Roddy Mac in producing it.
It’s acoustic rock with attitude and also an album that should really help further propel Christie into the limelight.
The Titan Sessions is available now directly from Christie’s own site below.
Track listing:
1. Hound Dog’s Moon
2. Black and Grey
3. Bad Girl Boogie
4. As Good As I Am
5. Oceans Away
6. Eye for an Eye
Lineup:
Christie Connor-Vernal – Lead Vocals & Acoustic Guitar
Roderick McILwraith – Backing Vocals & Electric Guitar
Craig Rae – Bass
Stephen Lightbody – Keyboards
Mike Jackson – Drums
Links:
christieconnorvernal.com
www.facebook.com/CCVernal
www.youtube.com/CCVMusicOfficial
