Reckless Saints

There's something retro and regional about Kim Mayfield's fluffy girlish vocals that pleasantly invokes the late and legendary Tammy Wynette, while the lovely melody lines and dulcet harmonies of the original material by Mayfield and musical partner and husband Roy Schneider could situate this recording at the western end of country & western. You might identify high nu-grass spirits on several of the tracks, including the imperative opener ‘Jump In’ and the lyrically compelling ‘Election Day’, the last of the 11 tracks. ‘Runaway Train’ is a standout showcase of how the considerable instrumental multi-tracking on the album, most of it by Schneider (guitars, Dobro, harmonica, percussion), is thankfully undetectable; the effect instead is that of a well-mixed, well-shared ensemble that supports the singing with no need for showing off or overproduction.

Guest performers enrich this mix to various degrees on different tracks, adding mandolin, fiddle, bass, piano, and pedal steel. The lyrics make artful use of language, and the stories told are as fresh as the playing; ‘Angels Along the Road’ is an account of Schneider's escape as a teenager from the infamous Straight, Incorporated rehab facility, vocalised in his rawhide tenor.