The middle is the new end and Canada does often seem like the end of the road with its plethora of practitioners of pseudo Americana. Three songs into Christa Couture’s album “The Living Record”, however, I was given to wonder if this pursuit of the past, in stylistic terms, was not so much an affliction as an affectation.
Certainly, “You Were Here In Michigan” and “Good Bayou” are conventional and festival friendly but they do not indicate the limits of Ms Couture’s creativity or ability. There’s that urban fragility that infuses “Lucky or Lost” to consider and there’s the intelligent word play in “An Invitation in Three Parts” too. Both suggest greater depth than you’d ever get wearing a gingham dress these days.
Two shakes of the tail later, our Christa – I’m sure we’d be friends – throws in some not inconsiderable style and walks da walk like a cool chick all the way through “Pussycat Pussycat”. I’m feeling love will is a beautiful thing and I’m buying the coffee and cheesecake just to prove it.
From near disdain to wanting to do the Starbucks thing with her, Christa Couture converted my indifference into something as close to affection as I am likely to show. The one word summation is therefore…endearing. Good old fashioned values are the way to go after all.