A good many good things come from Athens Georgia. At least I assume that is the case anyway for this time it is "Black Velvet" from Madeline – aka Madeline Adams - that must be added to the list of those good things.
It would be easy to simply write Madeline off as just another Neko Case clone and, indeed, "Dead Moon" would give you all the evidence you might need for that. Neither wistful nor tortured, she cleverly steers a wavering path between those two extremes. However, that wavering path does not imply uncertainty as Madeline (and her Black Water Band) shows the kind of surefootedness that few other do and they handle both the Stephanie Finch like shuffling urban cool of "Hurry Up Pronto" and the more whimsical "Please Don't Put Me Down" with equal ease.
Her wavering path does take her to all sorts of interesting places. The land of slick countrified sentimentality gets visited in "I Miss My Friend" as does the land of wry reflection in "Johnny Cash". Even the eighties style power ballad gets a passing wave in "Red Light Bulb" which takes me nicely to what gives this album the mark of class. "Black Velvet" easily maintains your interest without ever appearing to ask for it. You can take it in pieces or you can absorb it all at once and you will still find songs that are destined to become old friends. So, while I have identified another trait that Madeline shares with Neko Case, that in itself does not distract from her achievement here. She has made an album that is conventional yet is in no way ordinary.
Sound quality and pressing quality were fine although no mastering credit could be determined. The LP is available from HHBTM records. The LP came with a lyric insert and a download code.