CD Review: Lilly Of The West – Swings & Heartaches – by Christian Lamitschka for Country Music News International Magazine & Radio Show
Lilly of the West is a band from Bulgaria
that was previously known from the bluegrass scene.
The musicians: Lilly Drumeva (Voc.,
Fiddle), Yasen Vasilev (Voc, Rhytm. Guit.), Michail Shishkov (Voc., Dobro,
Piano), Svoboda Bozduganova (double bass) and as a special guest: Michal Barok
(mandolin, Fiddle).
With this CD you are now breaking new
ground, as the CD title already reveals.
Eleven tracks are gathered on it in
meticulous order. In the first half of
the CD we find lively swing from the 40s and 50s: “Gotta Lotta Rhythm in my Soul” and “Walking After
Midnight”, both hits by Patsy Cline.
This is followed by Hank Williams “Lovesick
Blues”. It continues with Western Swing
standards: “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and
Write Myself a Letter” and “My Window Faces the South” and modern swing “Who
Knows What Tomorrow May Bring”.
From track 6 it gets lyrical and romantic
with the wonderful Tim Hardin ballad “If I Were a Carpenter”, The Everly
Brothers “Crying in the Rain” and “Valentine Moon” by Juice Holland & Sam
Brown.
Last but not least, two melancholy
Bulgarian folk songs: “Brala Moma Ruzha Cvete”
and “Malka Moma Si Se Bogu Moli”.