ONE MOMENT PLEASE .... WHILE THE KINDA MUSIC REVIEW LOADS

Gina Villalobos/ Rock'N Roll Pony CD Laughing Outlaw/Bertus Though we 'saved' the CD a while for the official European release-date of February, 21, it became more and more difficult to pronounce our own opinion, not influenced by others. Rock 'N Roll Pony has been released half a year ago in the USA and the jubilant reviews are hardly to count on the fingers of two hands, the album is quoted high in the lists of European Twang-lovers, who apparently all have a promo in their pocket , and people who without further ado pay many dollars for an import album also have this CD already some time.. For short: Gina Villalobos is the next big thing in Twang. It is impossible not to think of Lucinda Williams. It's not that Gina is a double of the uncrowned Queen of the country-tearjerker, but she is a woman with the same strength and a character of steel, who gives just the right twist to ultra-personel lyrics that are encapsulated in a countryrocksound, as tough and lyrical at the same time, yes, as Car Wheels On A Gravel Road. 'I think I need an operation/Come on and cut me up/Cause I got something I wanna show you/Get over here and cut me up' . So it's country but at the same time rock 'n rolls as hell. What we can blame Gina for is that she, being an producer and ex-drummer, supplies her supersongs on Rock 'N Roll Pony with a remarkable flat drumming sound. Drummer JT not plays bad at all, but his performance does not excell at all in the mix. Country-lovers might shrug their shoulders about it, but if you are into rock in the countrymusic, you sure will like it with more spirit. As for the rest, it all fits on this CD; from the whining pedal-steel in opener 'California', beautifully covered by Gina's scouring voice, till the fierce last track 'Can't Come Down'. Together with a producer like e.g. Buddy Miller, Villalobos will soon reach superstatus. Ronald Besemer for Kindamuzik Translation: Yvonne Böhm