{"id":6744,"date":"2019-09-21T01:00:48","date_gmt":"2019-09-21T01:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/houstonmusicreview.com\/wordpress\/?p=6744"},"modified":"2019-09-24T11:15:32","modified_gmt":"2019-09-24T11:15:32","slug":"cheryl-cawood-love-pearl-album-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/houstonmusicreview.com\/wordpress\/2019\/09\/21\/cheryl-cawood-love-pearl-album-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Cheryl Cawood – \u201cLove, ~pearl\u201d- Album Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

Written by Jane Ponte \/ Photos by Ray Redding<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Singer-songwriter Cheryl Cawood is a woman in motion. Blink, and you may miss her as she zips by, juggling her full-time job as a laboratory scientist at the University of Texas Medical Branch, her family, her Texas honky-tonk band Kickin\u2019 it Dixie, and her own songwriting career, along with co-hosting the Old Quarter Acoustic Caf\u00e9\u2019s Songwriter\u2019s Group, all while advocating for causes she believes in and taking the time to work on 3 albums simultaneously. For some, the very notion of wearing so many hats all at once would seem daunting, but for Cawood\u2014whom I\u2019ve never seen without a hat\u2014this kind of stuff is all in a day\u2019s work. She seems to thrive on staying busy, writing songs, and making music with her friends.<\/p>\n

Cawood\u2019s latest release, \u201cLove,~pearl,\u201d is an eclectic, fun and tasteful mix of 10 tracks written or co-written by Cawood, with a couple of tracks written by two of her favorite Texas songwriters, Dale Watson and White Cat Studios owner and Houston music icon, Jack Saunders. The album gets its title from Cawood\u2019s childhood nickname, bestowed upon her by her beloved dad. Cawood explained, \u201cMy dad was a happy and fun man, and had a sing-song way about him. He pronounced my name \u201cShirl,\u201d which rhymes with pearl,\u201d Cawood explained. \u201cLots of my huge family call me Pearl,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Clearly, Cawood\u2019s roots are what often motivate and inspire her. Her sister Peggy designed the album, and a few of the songs harken back to Cawood\u2019s familial roots in Harlen County, Kentucky. Although Cawood grew up in Covington, Kentucky, her references to the mountains of Eastern Kentucky and the surrounding area are numerous on this new release. And while she presently resides in Galveston County, Texas and plays in numerous clubs throughout the area, she cut her musical teeth in the Greater Cincinnati, Ohio area, performing for many years and honing her craft playing everything from classic rock to Top-40 country, some blues, and even a little jazz. She even offered her vocal prowess on legendary Cincinnati songwriter Dave Gilligan\u2019s release, \u201cRecovering Catholics,\u201d a project she is exceptionally proud of. But what seems to interest her most these days is sharing her gift of exceptional songwriting, as evidenced by her most recent album.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Accompanied by a group of seasoned musical veterans in their own right, \u201cLove, ~pearl\u201d starts out with a poignant and powerful tune called \u201cFool\u2019s Moon,\u201d written solely by Cawood. It is the perfect introduction into what is to follow. Cawood seems to write in a somewhat veiled autobiographical style on many of her songs, and \u201cFool\u2019s Moon\u201d is no exception. In her plaintive, bluesy voice, she sings, \u201cLooks like tonight it\u2019s gonna shine\u2026another Fool\u2019s Moon,\u201d and the listener is immediately drawn in to Cawood\u2019s world and wants to know what\u2019s going to happen next.<\/p>\n

And what happens next is a rollicking, occasionally tear-jerking, mixed bag of good clean musical fun that also has a serious side. Cawood alternates between light-hearted, playful tunes, such as \u201cWine Thirty,\u201d written by Jack Saunders, and \u201cI Lie When I drink,\u201d by Austin (now Memphis) Ameripolitan artist, Dale Watson, and then delves into some semi-serious, historically framed material with \u201cDown the Ohio\u201d and \u201cComing Home.\u201d Cawood\u2019s effortless way in which she moves between musical genres, and her vocal stylings, which range from sometimes reedy, sometimes powerhouse, but always rich with warm resolve, evoke true emotion in every tune and give the listener a glimpse into the ability and psyche of a songwriter who easily rivals any singer-songwriter on the music scene today.<\/p>\n

If I had to choose a few favorites on this delightful collection of songs, they would have to be the aforementioned \u201cFool\u2019s Moon,\u201d \u201cWine Thirty,\u201d \u201cDown the Ohio,\u201d and \u201cComing Home.\u201d Out of these 4, Cawood wrote 3 of them. Honorable mentions would go to \u201cSalt Can Look Like Sugar,\u201d and \u201cOutrun the Rain,\u201d which she co-wrote, and \u201cBreathe,\u201d which she also wrote. It\u2019s no secret that Cawood is as versatile as she is dedicated as a songwriter, and this collection of songs is proof of that versatility and is just as good as it gets.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Speaking of being \u201cjust as good as it gets,\u201d the same can be said of the stellar cast of players that have lent their talents to this worthy project. Joining Cawood on this album are Eleanor Whitmore (The Mastersons, Steve Earle & The Dukes) on the fiddle, the legendary Lloyd Maines on steel guitar, the aforementioned Jack Saunders on vocals, bass, and guitar, Allen Huff on accordion, and drummer extraordinaire Rick Richards on percussion. These guys have all brought their \u201cA\u201d game to this effort and the end result is a tight, well-executed, professional album that gets better with every listen. If Cawood isn\u2019t beaming with pride over the craftsmanship and talent that went into this labor of love, she certainly should be. This material is radio-worthy and relevant; Cawood should be over the moon with this solid first solo effort.<\/p>\n

It is both exciting and hard to imagine that Cawood is presently in the midst of creating 2 more albums with Saunders at White Cat in Houston. Clearly, Cawood is a creative force to be reckoned with, and if her next 2 offerings are as solid as this first one, her fans and fans-to-be are in for a treat. Between the well-roundedness of her songwriting and the passion with which she delivers her unique blend of country, honky-tonk, blues, and folk, there is sure to be something for every music lover on either one\u2014or both\u2014of her next 2 releases. Look for a Kickstarter campaign that will soon be announced to assist with the production costs of her 3rd<\/sup> album and catch her at a live music venue near you sometime soon if you can. Never one to rest on her laurels, you\u2019ll be glad if you do, but you\u2019d better be quick. Cheryl Cawood is a busy lady\u2014and she\u2019s definitely going places. But for now, the Houston\/Galveston world of music is a much better place, thanks to her and her boundless talent and energy. Go getcha some at cherylcawood.com!!<\/p>\n

–Jane Ponte<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Written by Jane Ponte \/ Photos by Ray Redding Singer-songwriter Cheryl Cawood is a woman in motion. Blink, and you may miss her as she zips by, juggling her full-time job as a laboratory scientist at the University of Texas Medical Branch, her family, her Texas honky-tonk band Kickin\u2019 it Dixie, and her own songwriting… <\/p>\n

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