Kim Lenz And Her Jaguars - Kim Lenz And Her Jaguars (1998/2020)

Female retro-rockabilly chirper Kim Lenz scores very big on this, her debut album. With a solid ten originals emanating from her pen and sitting alongside four cover tunes obscure enough to fit in seamlessly with the rest of the pack, Lenz chirps, howls, whoops and hiccups with an élan highly reminiscent of the best of Wanda Jackson, Lorrie Collins and Barbara Pittman. The Jaguars provide solid electric guitar, string bass and drum support to Lenz' acoustic rhythm guitar and rockabilly vocals every beat and note of the way with Mike Lester's lead guitar showing perfect empathy. Recorded and produced by Wally Hersom, a special note must be made that this album was recorded live, direct to an original mono one-track machine, making the tracks collected here sound far more authentic than your average latter-day rockabilly disc. With a cover that's a female version of old Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps, and sound and style that evoke the perfect mood and ambience, this is one very impressive modern-day rockabilly album.