Written by James Killen
Wendy Colonna deserves congratulations for two recent events. First and most important, the birth of her son, Charlie and second the release of her latest album, “No Moment But Now”. Wendy has been on the Texas Music scene for a good while now, having moved to Austin from her native Louisiana. She brings a special style of blues/ folk/ jazz music with original compelling compositions and a deep gripping voice.
This album was a collaborative effort with musician/ producer Mark Addison and features a number of instrumental contributors, including Guy Forsyth on harmonica. All of the songs were written by Wendy with Mark Addison sharing credit on seven of the ten tunes.
The disc starts off with “Girls Like Me” that starts off with a gospel hip/hop rhythm, ruing a lifestyle without love. A ticking clock starts the sexy title track. “No Moment But Now” which shows off Wendy’s deep vocals with a slow guitar track that reaches deeply into the pop love song genre that she so excels at.
“Elizabeth Street” reaches out to listeners that feel outside the norm, targeting “misfits together in a blue collar song” referencing a street in an Italian neighborhood in NYC. It’s a folk guitar with a beat box back beat for “Every Second” about the love that never bubbles to the surface in day to day life.
The pop theme resurfaces on “Kiss You” starting out with voice treatments and piano before relaxing into a natural voice and then back to the electronics and synthesized orchestration in a song that deals with the feelings that erupt in a casual relationship. That is followed by the Billie Holliday styled blues tune, “The Seed”. The blues guitar lines are simple, but poignant and the song ends with a fading bass line.
“I’m Satisfied” gets right to the root of the blues with a slide guitar, a bass saxophone and a rocking blues harmonica line that takes us back to the Mississippi, with just a touch of rocking gospel. A fuzzy guitar sets the scene for “Things That Bloom in Winter”, that features a hopeful wish for overcoming adversity and a viola line that adds a touch of the classical to this wonderful wish.
Wendy gets socially active with “I Will Take You In” advocating the acceptance of refugees from war and starvation claiming that “Love is God and God is love”. It’s a most beautiful dedication to the forsaken people of the world. The disc concludes with the jazzy “Coming Home” featuring an ethereal guitar line behind Wendy’s full robust voice.
This disc is one of the best studio efforts that Ms. Colonna has produced in her career. It is a must for any true Wendy fan. It might be a little while before we see her on tour again, as she will certainly be taking an ample maternity leave from the road, but line up for this CD. It is a piece of art.