[rating=8.00]
Mind the sparks that will no doubt pop from your speakers like little fireworks when you hear opening track “It’s So Cruel” off Ruby Boots’ new record Don’t Talk About It. It is an electrifying introduction to an artist that will knock your socks off with her smart, unpretentious rock and roll. A self-assured powerhouse, Boots nails each song on Don’t Talk About It like it’s her last performance on earth. Her vocals are smooth and soft, but she knows how to activate them and turn them into a siren call that cuts through the atmosphere with one warm howl.
It is clear to see Boots has been inspired by the classic, true blue rock and roll greats. “Easy Way Out” has all the charisma and driving pace of a top-notch Tom Petty song. And “It’s So Cruel” has all the cool swagger of a Stones tune. She knows her notes and she uses them with wild abandon, unafraid of being loud and a little punk rock. Don’t Talk About It is a fearless record that finds Boots effortlessly moving between twinkling pop-rock gems like “Believe in Heaven” and “Don’t Talk About It”, and powerful ballads with the subtlest twang like “Break My Heart Twice” and the folksy “I Am a Woman.” By the end of the album, you’ll be left wondering if there’s anything she can’t do.
The sweet spot for Boots is the melodic pop-rock we get on “I’ll Make it Through”, a tune with a Jessica Lea Mayfield vibe that’s understated vocally, but with no shortage of drama. “Infatuation” achieves this, too, with its sweet harmonies and addicting melody. This one begs us to dance to it, even as Boots sings of a do-or-die torrid love affair, filled with heart-stopping cliffhangers.
The album’s surprising conclusion once again proves that Boots has the power to keep us on our toes right up until the very end. “Don’t Give a Damn” mixes slow-burn quiet cool with a down-home back roads sound. It is the ultimate laid-back 1970s kiss-off and Boots executes it with just the right amount of flare and smoke to bring us to our knees and beg her for more.
