Anderson, Marisa – “Golden Hour, The” – [Mississippi Records]

Solo improvisations for the guitar and lap steel, with no overdubs of layering, this is Marisa Anderson of Portland, OR, home of Mississippi Records. Once in a funky-groovy jazz project called “Evolutionary Jass Band,” and recently featured on a remix album of “Music From Saharan Cellphones,” now comes her blues album that goes to show that this woman is a fucking musical beast, most likely chameleon-esque.

Whatever effects this chick uses makes for the perfect mix of creepy ambience and gritty ol’ Delta blues style. The lapsteel guitar is melancholy when there’s a foreboding resonance building from open notes on the guitar. Sometimes the songs are pretty (2,3,4,10) and have added crude feedback sounds (11!), while others have more of a direct blues influence, with a Junior Kimbrough-ish electric flavor (1,7,8,9), and one appropriately fingerpicked inspired by Blind Willie McTell (6).

Medatative and calm, without being boring. Uplifting, optimistic, foot-tappin’, tough-love from the distinct part of our selves where the blues go…