Shelby Lynne

Shelby Lynne's eclectic, very southern pop nearly a decade to catch on in Nashville, and thankfully she hasn't felt the need to compromise or narrow her focus in the wake of commercial success. Case in point: the new Just a Little Lovin', an utterly assured, soulful tribute to Dusty Springfield that is only classified as country by default. Lynne's blues and jazz roots are evident in the quiet, uncluttered arrangements, while the minimal guitar, soaked in echo and tremolo throughout, is a welcome inheritance from classic southern R&B.

The opening songs end up dragging a bit after promising starts, but "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" expertly settles in by taking everything a step slower, with acoustic folk guitar weaving around electric piano as Lynne smartly underplays the histrionics of Dusty's biggest hit.

The handful of songs that follow put together the album's strongest run, including "Breakfast in Bed," an ideal country-soul marriage that feels at least as Memphis as anything on Dusty in Memphis, and climaxing with the unabashed swamp-rock of "Willie & Laura Mae Jones"—on which Lynne is sexy and gritty enough to recall another '60s pop icon, Bobbie Gentry.

Nothing that follows can compare, although only the closing "How Can I Be Sure" is truly dull. While it peaks a little early, Just a Little Lovin' is a fine, stripped-down take on blue-eyed soul, and a maturely rendered tribute.

—Nate Cunningham
02.14.08

Shelby Lynne has followed her own sometimes reckless, always adventuresome muse throughout her career. Just a Little Lovin' is her personal homage to the late, legendary Dusty Springfield. Nine of its ten cuts are inextricably linked to the late British vocalist whose sway Lynne came under years ago, but a chance conversation with Barry Manilow -- of all people -- led to the making of this record. Lynne doesn't attempt to sound like Springfield. She uses her own phrasing and rhythmic sensibility. Four cuts here come from the Dusty in Memphis period, as well as the title track to The Look of Love and some of her mid-'60s British hits that were not released in America. All these songs, with the exception of the self-penned "Pretend," were recorded by Springfield. The album was recorded in the Capitol Records studio with Frank Sinatra's microphone and producer Phil Ramone. Lynne's aesthetic sense serves her well: most singers automatically shoot for "Son of a Preacher Man," but Lynne steers clear. She does, however, tackle some truly monolithic Springfield hits: "Just a Little Lovin'," "Breakfast in Bed," "Willie and Laura Mae Jones," and "I Don't Want to Hear It Anymore." Lynne's readings are close, intimate. They're understated but more direct. Ramone used a small quartet in guitarist Dean Parks, keyboardist Rob Mathes, drummer Gregg Field, and bassist Kevin Axt to give her that edge. Lynne's delivery takes these songs straight to the listener's belly. The taut but easy sensuality in her voice adds a very different dimension to them.

When she gets to the in-the-pocket feel of "Breakfast in Bed," she comes at the tune's subject with an up-front sexual expression -- Springfield's trademark vulnerability is willfully absent. A Rhodes and Parks' guitar give her plenty of room to pour out the lyric. "Willie and Laura Mae Jones" has a rough, swampy earthiness; Lynne adds her guitar to its sparse, slow growl. Springfield recorded this tome about interracial love when the subject was taboo in America. She made it palatable with her innocent delivery. Lynne gets at Tony Joe White's lyric with a bluesy toughness expressing incredulity toward injustice. Randy Newman's "I Don't Want to Hear It Anymore" carries inside it the trace of both Lynne's Southern homeland and her adopted West Coast residency. She can tell this heartbreaking tale as if it were her own while uncannily recalling Springfield's empathy. Signature Springfield pieces such as "I Only Want to Be with You" are astonishing for their contrast. The bubbly, poppy original version is slowed here; it offers the impression of genuine surprise by an unsuspecting protagonist. The jazzy piano and Parks' lush guitar lines entwine perfectly. Springfield's version of "The Look of Love" has remained unchallenged for more than 40 years. Lynne doesn't even try. Instead she offers tribute. It's not as sultry as the original was, but feels honest and hungry in stripping off the lyric's mask with her voice. "How Can I Be Sure" by the Rascals -- cut as a British-only single by Springfield -- is startling: Lynne sings it accompanied only by Parks' guitar. It's a radical but fitting closer. Just a Little Lovin' is the finest tribute Springfield has ever received on tape. That such a fine singer and songwriter interpreted her in such an empathic and sophisticated manner is respect personified. Ramone's care with the project is, as usual, celebratory. The multidimensional persona Lynne usually displays on her records is still here in spades. Her diversity, confidence, and wide-ranging ability are the standard to aspire to. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide