Bettye LaVette

I often buy albums for no other reason than that they have a nice cover (especially if it features a pretty girl). At least 25% of these gambles have turned out to be great records. I discovered Joanna Newsom, Feist and CocoRosie in this way for example.

Yesterday, in my habitual Tuesday night CD-buying frenzy, I’ve Got My Own Hell To Raise by Bettye LaVette caught my eye for some reason. Something about this somber face in a sea of black, an older woman I've never heard of before, intrigued me. Who the hell is she?

A sticker on the album — released yesterday by ANTI- Records (home of Tom Waits, Jolie Holland, The Black Keys and Daniel Lanois) — offered a few clues with two plugs:

"You've got a singer here who is willing to stretch and not content to live in the safety zone. Bettye Lavette's voice is the superb line that connects Lucinda Williams' "Joy" to Dolly Parton's "Little Sparrow" via numbers by Sinead O'Connor and Joan Armatrading. Those songs never sounded better and neither has one of R&B greatest under-acknowledged vocalists."
- Elvis Costello

"Ache has never sounded so funky. Weary, wise, defiant and vulnerable, Bettye's a force of nature... She's outdone herself on this one."
- Bonnie Raitt

Of course I had to buy it. I will say right now, I’ve Got My Own Hell To Raise is one of the best albums of the year. LaVette, who had some minor hits 40 years ago, knows what she's doing. Full of raw emotion and elemental arrangements, if you like old soul music, you will love this album.

Hear for yourself:
"Down To Zero"
"The High Road"

If you buy the album, you'll get to hear a great a cappella Sinead O'Connor cover as well as a biting Fiona Apple cover. Also online for your listening pleasure, are these classic tracks:
"You’ll Never Change"
"Let Me Down Easy"

And if that ain't enough, check out her recent performance on the Late Show with David Letterman.