You've heard of an American in Paris. How about and American in Belgium? From Louisiana via Texas to Belgium was the journey taken by Wendy Colonna with her latest release "Barefoot In Belgium". And it was a journey worth taking.
Recording with local talent has enlivened what could otherwise have been a leisurely walk through the myriad styles of the Americana songbook. Well, it could have been if it had been someone other than Wendy Colonna, of course. Her warm and surprisingly unsentimental lyrics fit right into the easy groove that her Belgian band mates provide with the lilting "Forgive Me" swinging gracefully like Bonnie Raitt would do before old time Americana gets revisited in "Lazybones". Likewise, the simple device of underpinning the song with a harmonica transforms "Yesterday Blues" into a walk down American Popular Song Street.
I have to say that despite the supportive backing, the star of the show remains Wendy Colonna. Her voice has both a richness of tone and an engaging cadence that makes her oh so easy on the ear. It also makes her a refreshing change from the usual middle of the highway practitioners of the Americana genre. I shall now give some serious thought to falling madly in love with her.