I’m as guilty as anybody in dismissing models, movie and TV stars as musicians, and, more often than not, one is right to. Thinking back, I have to confess to rejecting an opportunity to see Minnie Driver perform live, without giving it a second thought, and even worse, without hearing her music… Yup, I was a sceptic and perhaps for good reason, or more to the point, for no reason at all. I’m pleased to say that I now listen to everything, and instead of blind prejudice, I let my ears make the decision.

Within the last week, I received a live concert album from Rounder Records in the States which celebrated the 40th anniversay of that great independent label. To my surprise, opening the show was MInnie Driver whose songs and performances, to say the least, surprised me. In fact so good were they that I contacted Rounder and asked for a copy of her latest album, SEASTORIES, which was released back in 2007. The two great songs from the live show, ‘Beloved’ and ‘Cold Dark River’, were both on the album, and much more besides.

Driver’s style, after many years working and residing in the States, is gentle country pop/rock, a combination that I suspect would not go down well with radio and consumers over here in the UK. However, I can promise you that it’s an album with 12 winning songs, all written by Driver. The album features major guest artists including Ryan Adams and The Cardinals, Liz Phair, Rami Jaffee of The Wallflowers and Driver’s own band. The album opens with ‘Stars & Satellites’, a wonderful romantic ballad followed immediately by a bittersweet country rocker in ‘Sorry Baby.’ Driver’s vocal performances are excellent with expression to burn, and every note nailed. ‘Beloved’ was a lead single from the album; a gently meandering country ballad with sound lyrics, tangible melody and another wonderful vocal performance.  

‘Cold Water River’ is a real eye-opener. It’s a soulful country rocker and one of the best of its kind I’ve heard. We’ve played it on our radio show without a second thought, and it should have featured on radio 2 - no question. ‘Mockingbird’ is a folk tinged narrative with atmospheric guitar winding in and out (I think played by Driver), and another expressive vocal. Mournful piano notes introduce ‘How To Be Good’, another melodic standout on the record, while ‘King Without A Queen’ is a country, foot-tapping romp. Then it’s back in country rock territory with ‘Mary’ and one starts to wonder whether Driver is not at least part-American, with distant blood lines… ‘Lakewater Hair’ is a bittersweet, glacially-paced love song sung with powerful emotion.

Driver then travels back to Britain with ‘London Skies’, a moody, contemplative song: “I’m an alien in my life, don’t you know/My skin is white as snow/I went running to the sun it burned me up/A painful kind of fun… Rain, cool me down I’m feverish oh I’m to blame/Rain, calling me from London skies, bring me home again.”  It’s followed by another reflective piece in ‘Coming Back To Life’, which boasts one of the record’s finest vocal performances with Driver travelling the scale, made even more dramatic by a superb instrumental arrangement featuring some stunning piano passages.

A very brief ‘Love Is Love’ concludes the record in stripped-down style, with Driver’s close-mic voice dominating an emotionally intense song. You cannot listen to this album without feeling that music, rather than acting, is Driver’s first artistic love. As a singer/songwriter, based on what I’ve heard here, she’s up there with the best of her genre, and live can match just about anyone. More than meets the eye? You better believe it!

4.5/5