Review Summary: Sometimes the blue bathing suit works.
Mary Lou Lord is an artist that has, unfortunately for her, been linked to two iconic figures from the 90's. As one time girlfriend to Kurt Cobain, and close associate of Elliott Smith, one can't help but feel that these connections overshadowed her career. If you Google interviews with her, the first thing that comes up is a 1998 piece for Spin conducted by Lord with her touring buddy and sometimes writing partner Elliott Smith. In the said interview, Smith gives her a bit of a backhanded compliment in saying her songs can survive commercial reworking, while his can only exist in the form he initially conceived. He likens it to being unable to try a blue bathing suit if he's already wearing a red one - that red bathing suit IS him.
Having said all of that, one has to admit that Lord sounds ALOT like Elliott Smith. There's not the same level of pain - Lord has a tinge of melancholy to many of her best songs, but she operates in an emotional space unlike Smith's despair. She also does not employ the same level of chordal complexity. But from an aesthetic point of view, the gentle attack of her acoustic playing and the thin, rueful electric leads are there (coupled with the simple, blushing drums). Lord also has a small, intimate voice, which she understands well. Instead of drifting into cuteness or affectation to compensate for limits, she leans into the confessional whisper or sinewy changes of pace and intonation to create moments in her vocal delivery.
While 'Backstreet Angels' doesn't find the grain and magic of the genre's best works, not once does the album drag, even at a relatively long 53 minutes. There's something to be said for listening to a record which captures some of the delicate beauty of that late 90's acoustic pop sound, without the bleakness. When this finishes up, it doesn't bother me if I've left the repeat on. I can hear Lord is writing for herself, and I think she's had to make fewer compromises than on her debut. But she's still taking the listener into account. The honest charm of this album shows a generosity of spirit - I can't think of a line or moment that jars.
