Full Review

Corinne West – Bound for the Living

Corinne West is a singer/songwriter originally from California whose music could be best described as contemporary folk with an Americana feel; over the 13 songs she provides considered lyrics wrapped in a variety of acoustic styles ranging from folk through to bluegrass and country.

The elements of bluegrass and country mainly come from the instrumentation used, while the constant on the disc is acoustic guitar this is fleshed out by mandolin on almost every track with the addition of fiddle and dobro in places. While the backing may hint at the South, the lyrics are more thoughtful and the vocals much smoother and understated than the usual country fare. This is carried over into the arrangements where, with only a couple of exceptions the songs are acoustic and simply arranged but with a variety of instrumental textures.

The songwriting is where Corinne really shines and her songs are well written studies mainly focusing on everyday lives – ‘Horseback in my Dreams’ paints the picture of a guy in a dead end job and the desire for a better life; ‘Angel’ is a dreamy track filled with imagery that reveals more on each listen, and ‘Amelia’ is a wonderful story of a gold miner’s daughter that’s beautifully performed.

‘Bound for the Living’ is an understated and rewarding album, it’s musically varied, thoughtfully arranged and is full of considered and intelligent songs.