‘Big Black Heart’
Self-released
teressawilcox.net
Since releasing her “Beautiful Thing” CD a few years back, singer- songwriter Teressa Wilcox emerges this time with both barrels blazin’ on her latest release, “Big Black Heart.” The new full-length album was recorded by producer and multi-instrumentalist Mike Brown at Temperamental Recordings in Geneseo, and boasting a cast of impressive sidemen. Most importantly, Wilcox delivers the songs with attitude and an ever-excellent voice on “Big Black Heart.”
This album decidedly has more moxie and more teeth than Wilcox has shown before. The tonal sweetness is still there — it’s just vying for its own space with the rock ’n’ roll urgency, which leads to a good kind of tension. Just dig the title track. And check out the guitar while you’re there.
There’s a handful of drummers on the roster, including Jay Smay of JD McPherson’s band, Chris “Hollywood” English, and Frank DiCesare. Nate Coffey plays bass, and Mike Brown and Declan Ryan (a contributing writer for CITY) add guitars.
The production sugar, sprinkled conservatively, can be summed up with Brown’s ethereal steel guitar on “Swallowed My Heart” and “Release My Love,” which comes off like the kind of southwest soundscape you might hear from the rock band Friends of Dean Martinez. Wilcox finds balance in the hushed rumble of her drop-tune guitar and sings with an edge that solidifies her as one of the best singer-songwriters on the Rochester scene today.
Frank De Blase is CITY's music writer. He can be reached at [email protected].
