Pamela Richardson
"Spaghetti Midwestern"
by Johanna J. Bodde


                                                                   

PAMELA RICHARDSON "Spaghetti Midwestern" (Self-Released) www.pamelarichardson.com www.cdbaby.com/cd/pamelar Pamela Richardson is a good friend of Carla Olson, they first met when Pamela origanized a Gene Clark-tribute in the city where she lives, Chicago. They're probably around the same age and Pamela belongs in the same category "unique alto voices" as Carla! She sounds beautiful, confident, she knows clearly what she's doing and what she still wants to do. She has build life-experience, from there grown-up lovesongs appear. "Spaghetti Midwestern" is the odd title of an EP with six tracks, bringing us a total of more than 24 minutes of perfect acoustic folk. A full-length album is in the making, with band, there's even a song recorded in Austin with The Shakin' Apostles! We have here a tasty entree already with wondrously beautiful arrangements: right away a violin and a flute enter together on "Wingtips". I know these are all original compositions, yet the harmonies -of "Through The Window" for instance- make me wonder for a moment if I heard something simular by Simon & Garfunkel or The Everly Brothers, it's so nice and easy on the ears. Two songs are delivered with great piano playing, one of these is "Wandering Ivy", a lament for Pete Ham, the guitarist of Badfinger: "All the pictures painted of you never capture your smile", with an ingenious ending. Smouldering emotion and accepted melancholy sending shivers down the spine. Can we hear MORE music by Mrs. Richardson? For music lovers who are also interested in cooking: the recipe for Tofuball Spaghetti, on the CD-cover served to Bill the SpokesCow, is also available from Pamela! --- Written by Johanna J. Bodde, Dutch original of this review previously published on Real Roots Cafe, The Netherlands. =====