Lisa Hayes is back with a follow-up to her debut “Sweet Forgiveness.” The self-produced “Somewhere Deep In Texas” is a gritty, rootsy album that’s sure to fill smokey bars all over the state.
The album kicks off with the rousing, Cajun-infused “Fierce Love.” If you’ve never heard Hayes before, the first thing that hits you is her deep, brazen vocals. Melissa Ethridge’s gutsy croon comes to mind, but Hayes is less unabashed and more subdued. She’s no Faith Hill, and that’s her appeal.
“Get Yourself Home” continues the bar-friendly vibe, but it all comes to an abrupt stop with “I Can’t Find You.” From then on, Hayes fills the rest of her sophomore effort with her softer side.
Tracks like “Find Me” showcase Hayes' vocal range and the sultry “I Never Meant To Tell You” is destined to be a hit.
However, the album’s production is lacking polish. A bit of tweeking could’ve saved it from sounding too rough and uneven.
Nevertheless, Hayes sounds more genuine than most country singers out there. Her delivery is big and bold like the Texas she sings about.
The Austin-based singer shows promise, but next time she might want to stray from the ballads and give us more of the loud drunken-rockers most Texas music fans can appreciate.
