From John Shelton Ivany’s Top 21, Issue #393
Terri Hendrix
Cry Till You Laugh
A woman and her harmonica are a guarantee of fun, and Terri Hendrix is not the exception. She likes full sounds, layered vocals, picked banjo mingling with chopping drum, touches of jazz. She’s a good girl, and at times seems not to see the roughness of the world, even way she pays it lip service. But upon a deeper listening, you hear that she’s not all that removed from the blues side of life. Perhaps hopeful in her music-making is actually a result of her focus on the blues offstage, hence the title of this recording, Cry Till You Laugh.
The harmonica throughout the album is used in an unusual way, because it is integrated into contemporary country rock as another instrument that is supposed to fit into the scheme of the music, rather than being featured on top of a blues guitar. Additionally, there are several tracks that are a great interpretation of New Orleans swing. These are the height of the album, as they both giving something more exciting than the usual country-rock and showcase Hendrix’s strong, round voice.
11/14/2010 – written by Sophia Strosberg
