Monday, 15 August 2016

Don't Underestimate Me | Carolina Magnolia Review by Randy Wayne Belt


by Randy Wayne Belt

This rootsy song by Carolina Magnolia could be the missing song from "Oh Brother Where Art Thou", or even better, it could have been used for a follow up movie "Oh Sister Where Art Thou".  No seriously!  This song could easily find its way into an appropriate soundtrack, without a doubt.

Based out of Petal, Mississippi this Duo has an acoustic sound all their own. blending genres a bit without you even noticing, this song in particular has that old timey feel that will pull you right back in time.  The chorus and title of this song, "Don't Underestimate Me", lends the song a very memorable phrase and melody. It is like you may have heard it before, only you haven’t.

Lead vocalist Virginia Grey delivers just the right sassy soulful sound with her voice and guitar playing for this track. The line "I've got horns hidden under my halo" sums up the vocal work here.  Carolina Magnolia is backed by Tammy Chambliss with her smooth harmony and background vocals and upright bass ability.  The vocals together in harmony and alone, hauntingly sound like they were pulled straight out of a time warp to back when music was pure, raw, and real and sounded music the better for it.

 Adding in the upright bass gives the song just the bottom end it needs to thump its way onto the canvas of sound and bring the swampy bluesy sound into an Americana field and into your soul and feet.  If you mix a little CCR (especially that tremelo guitar sound in this song) with a bit of Alison Kraus and Union Station and a little rock, blues and country, you'll get a bit of an idea of what sounds you can expect with this group.


The duo is currently working on their first album together which is expected to be released sometime in 2016.  Judging from the back catalogue by the duo's songwriter Virginia Grey, (notably, and I recommend as well: "Virginia Grey's Greatest Hits" ou can expect some excellent songwriting and musicianship coming up on that album.

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