Exene Cervenka
Somewhere Gone.
Bloodshot Records

Given that the multi-talented Exene Cervenka has spent decades making music as an Icon of punk music with the now infamous band X, it comes as no surprise that her newest solo album since 1991 is…mostly folk music.

Now, if you’re a fan, don’t start freaking out: This is folk but with a good measure of Velvet Underground and Henry Rollins mixed in. You can catch hints of musical stylings here that range from Hawaiian music to deep country, all backed by Exene’s eerie, half-sad half-manic lyrics.

Maybe it’s just the work of touring with her most recent band Original Sinners or a simple maturing of taste, but this woman evokes the spirits of June Carter Cash and Patsy Kline in fourteen tracks that roll from the bluesy “Where Do We Go from Here” to the honky-tonk inspired melody of “Walk Me across the Night.” Exene even throws in her version of the old-school ballad “The Willow Tree” with cellist Amy Farris.

There’s a lot to be said about any artist talented enough to cover such a wide range of styles (Exene also is a well known spoken word and visual artist as well), and with thirty years of experience behind her, this lady is far from gone. —Brandon Whitehead

Brandon Whitehead can be contacted at brandonw@kcactive.com