Nancy Deckant & Black Rock County

. - Wide Open Gate Records

Artist: Nancy Deckant
Album: Life Jacket
Review by Gary Hill
Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

While Nancy Deckant isn’t a household name, her sound is familiar and accessible. This album combines elements of old-school country music with more modern incarnations of that genre and pop music. It’s very catchy and feels like it would be at home on both pop radio and country stations.

The most apparent plus to this disc is the feeling of sincerity and the overall familiarity. At times one might think of Kelly Clarkson, at other points Shania Twain comes to mind. Still other parts of the set showcase more pure country elements. The disc really finds an effective balance between pop leanings and true country music. It falls somewhat to the pop side of Gretchen Wilson, but lands more to the country end of the spectrum than Shania Twain. There are enough nods to all the artists mentioned here, though, to make it seem like something that should be on the radio.

The album perhaps shines brightest when it’s closest to the country side of the equation. “Jack Boot Gun” is the classic example of that. The song feels a lot like the rocking brand of country practiced by Gretchen Wilson. Even there, though, there is a bit of a twist as the final bit of vocals almost have a rap element to them.

Although, while some of the more pop oriented tracks seem a bit behind the country entries, “Every Little Thing Needs Love” is decidedly more of a pop ballad. It’s also very heartfelt and effective. It’s a pretty song that serves nicely to add some variety and balance to the set. The country elements aren’t fully excised, though. Indeed the guitar soloing (both in the section set aside for it and expressed as little bursts of sound throughout) still feels quite country in nature.

The contrast between a ballad that works exceptionally well and one that falls just a little short can be heard when comparing “Every Little Thing Needs Love” to “Dance.” While the two cuts share the same basic musical ground, “Dance” comes in more on the pop side. It seems less unique and just falls a little flat. It’s not that it’s a bad song. In fact, it’s catchy and entertaining. It’s just that it doesn’t work as well as its sister.

The only real problem though with the album is the vocals are often produced with too flat a sound. Deckant’s voice is reasonably strong, but a little more reverb (or some sound reinforcement) would have created a better sound. Alternately, dropping the vocals down a little from the upfront and center positioning would have made the issue less obvious.

Overall, this is a strong disc from an artist who should get a lot of attention. It shows a lot of promise for great things to come. That said, it’s not that this album needs to be seen as the precursor for something greater, it’s just that with a bit more experience, Deckant will likely be capable of producing some real star quality music. Better production in the vocal department next time will help that cause, too. Of course, it’s a shame that with the modern corporate controlled radio the masses aren’t likely to hear this music. Fans of Shania Twain, Kelly Clarkson and Gretchen Wilson would eat this up given the chance. Maybe those corporations will pay attention and give Deckant a chance at the big time. As long as her creativity was allowed to shine through, she’d likely be a star.
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Gary Hill is a musician, author and music writer. Gary founded the Music Street Journal and has written for Review You, All Music Guide and Beet Cafe. He lives in the Rockford, Illinois area. - Wide Open Gate Records