This second solo album by Texas artist Amanda Shires is anything but sophomoric. It is mature beyond her years, smart beyond clever, and wise beyond reason. Amanda is a true unique talent in a world full of those claiming to be such. Her delicate and beautiful singing voice -- with hints of sweetness and tremulo -- belie the power and force behind her highly original lyrics. Her "roaring fiddle" carries you aloft while the sharpness of her lyrics shoot you straight through the heart.
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Saying that Texas has been the cradle of some very exciting music is old news. Let me present some more old news by saying that the Lone Star State almost weekly presents new talent(s). Just read the reviews on this website. Recently the postman left another small Texan jewel in my mailbox: ‘West Cross Timber’, the second solo CD from singer-songwriter and violinist Amanda Shires.

Amanda Shires made her entrance as a solo artist in 2005 with ‘Being Brave’, a CD I unfortunately missed. Previously she had already recorded four CDs with the Thrift Store Cowboys, an altcountry band with a strong local (live-)reputation. In 2006 the band the band released ‘Lay Low While Crawling Or Creeping’, an outstanding album, but the band didn’t get the recognition they deserved.

When Shires met Rod Picott in the same year, her career took a new turn. They decided to work as a duo for a while. At the end of 2006 this cooperation led to a successful tour through Europe, and in 2009 they released an album (‘Sew Your Heart With Wires’, review will appear on our site soon). 

But now we have the beautifully issued ‘West Cross Timber’, produced by Amanda Shires, David Henry (who also plays cello, piano and organ) and Rod Picott (guitar). The CD opens with (Upon Hearing Violins’, a fine up-tempo song with nice fiddle and guitar. But above all it’s the first confrontation with Amanda Shires’ remarkable voice. Every now and then she reminds me of the early Dolly Parton (but without that high, pinched timbre) and Alison Krauss.

That voice is even more amazing in the four ballads on this album. ‘Put Me To Bed’ (including a delicious country cry), ‘Days in Blankets’, ‘Mineral Wells’ (lovely violin solo) and the heavenly melancholic ‘Mariann Leola’ (listen to Steve Byam’s pedal steel and Shires’ violin!) truly are fantastic songs, made of real flesh and blood. 

If you love female voices - and who doesn’t? – you most likely won’t resist the charm of ‘West Cross Timber’. The others I recommend to listen carefully. It’s not every day you find such a gem in your lap.
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Great writing, great singing and great playing. Buy the CD now.
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Amanda has a unique sound and she is a delight !!
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