Miles Away - Gina Villalobos

...follows:

1. Miles Away
2. Hard Enough
3. Don't Let Go
4. If I Can't Have You
5. Face On The Sheets
6. Lets Fall Apart
7. Don't Defeat Me
8. Somewhere To Lay Down
9. Tied To My Side
10. Somebody Save Me

The CD case itself is one of those made from cardboard, a folded sheet with the lyrics and plenty of photos hidden away in the cover.

As outlined ...
...is the title track, a cacophony of guitars leading right to her rasping, growling opening line - and the energy displayed here just keeps on going right throughout, Gina managing to inject welcome melodic vocals into what would otherwise be a raw performance. For a few minutes you forget it's classed as 'country rock' and get swept away - literally, 'Miles Away'....

A swift change of gear brings the listener back down to terra firma ... more

"One more night with my heart on a kickstand" was the growling opening line from the first track on "Miles Away", the third solo album by west coast based singer-songwriter Gina Villalobos - hearing this, I simply knew I would love this album as much as I do her previous one, "Rock 'n' Roll Pony" (reviewed also on Ciao). I didn't need to read a review of the new album, simply went ahead and ordered it the day it was released in the UK - and haven't regretted it since.

For those of you who haven't read my review of her previous (and excellent) album, Gina Villalobos played in three Californian bands before going solo - and then lost the sight in one eye in an accident which inevitably delayed the release of "Rock 'n' Roll Pony". "Raw talent" is an apt phrase since her vocals are often raw, raucous and raspy - but never stray far from being so melodic that you want to tear yourself away and listen to something else. She confesses to a lot of her songs being written in motels between December 2004 and December 2005 (and plenty of Travelodges during her UK tour promoting "Rock 'n' Roll Pony, plus motels in Australia and New Zealand - "....it's quite eerie and comforting at the same time how travelodges are all laid out the same way: I felt like I could have been anywhere or nowhere at the same time"), though this doesn't detract in the slightest from the end result - and what a result. You'd think a third album would be highly polished and much more commerical-sales orientated. Not so for "Miles Away", which benefits from the same magic combination of gritty vocals, pedal steel and acoustic guitar - plus another of my favourite artists, Australian Anne McCue giving providing the harmony vocals on "Face On The Sheets".

Track listing is as follows:

1. Miles Away
2. Hard Enough
3. Don't Let Go
4. If I Can't Have You
5. Face On The Sheets
6. Lets Fall Apart
7. Don't Defeat Me
8. Somewhere To Lay Down
9. Tied To My Side
10. Somebody Save Me

The CD case itself is one of those made from cardboard, a folded sheet with the lyrics and plenty of photos hidden away in the cover.

As outlined above, the CD crashes straight into the raucous rendition that is the title track, a cacophony of guitars leading right to her rasping, growling opening line - and the energy displayed here just keeps on going right throughout, Gina managing to inject welcome melodic vocals into what would otherwise be a raw performance. For a few minutes you forget it's classed as 'country rock' and get swept away - literally, 'Miles Away'....

A swift change of gear brings the listener back down to terra firma with "Hard Enough", a slow-paced ballad that unashamedly draws upon country influences for the backing to Gina's scaled back vocals - at least in terms of volume. Wasn't too keen on this track at first as the backing threatens to drown her out at several points but it's since grown on me enormously.

"Don't Let Go" seems like a song you've heard a hundred times before - but that might be as much to do with the simple nature of the track and how well it is executed as to anything else. Her vocals are wisely given free rein here, rising above the slightly muted guitars.

Of course, there had to be a cover in here somewhere, and "If I Can't Have You" is it - written by the Bee Gees and performed by Yvonne Elliman for "Saturday Night Fever". Gina's version is a total change in pace from the original 'airy' and uplifting song sung by Elliman: this cover is much slower, darker and yet surprisingly uplifting itself (in its own way). Funnily enough, on the first few listens, I had an idea this was a cover but didn't quite make the connection until about the fifth time - which speaks volumes to me about how this version stands up for itself. Can't say which one I like better!

"Face On The Sheets" gets back into familiar territory for Gina Villalobos with vibrant guitars and her now trademark raucous and raspy delivery - though it's never hard-edged enough that it strays away from being extremely enjoyable. Add Anne McCue on harmonies and it's a winner.

And that's just the first half of the album described - the second half is just as good but I'll let you discover that for yourselves. This girl has talent, and whilst the total loss of sight in one eye would make some retreat into obscurity, she's clearly made of sterner stuff and this runs right through both the albums I own.

Like I said in the review of "Rock 'n' Roll Pony" - badger your local and national radio stations to play her stuff. She clearly needs more publicity than she's getting at the moment - her music definitely deserves a wider audience. As for "Miles Away", well, you can't go far wrong by investing in this particular release. 

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