This is nice. An album for women who wear pretty dresses and who have long since learned how to accessorise, “Cover Stories” will no doubt be appreciated by women of taste and, in that, Mari Wilson (Neasden Queen of Soul, dontcha know?) should be congratulated.
It goes almost without saying that her selection of material displays the good taste that you would expect of such a seasoned trouper. The slowed down versions of “Be My Baby” and “I Only Want To Be With You” will no doubt be the crowd pleasers that they are intended to be but the rather more courageous choice of such songs as Caitlin Roses’ “Own Side”, Ron Sexsmith’s “Right About Now” and Gillian Welch’s “Dear Someone” mark out Mari Wilson as a proper, old style chanteuse who knows that the song is everything and even the unadventurous accompaniment cannot detract from that.
Mari Wilson is a class act. “Cover Stories” is a classy album. Maybe not a career defining album but definitely one that goes well with red wine.