Lindi Ortega

Lindi Ortega

Tin Star

(Last Gang)

With her own gig at the Tron Theatre and a role in the Roaming Roots Revue at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall the following evening during Celtic Connections (and one night stands in Edinburgh and Aberdeen before that), there is ample opportunity to catch Tennessee-domiciled Canadian Lindi Ortega this month. Her trademark red lippy and matching boots will make her difficult to miss - and nor should you. This album is being touted as her breakthrough, and quality songwriting runs through the variety of its 11 tracks, the lyrical wit and winning way with twang and tremelo guitars evident from the first of them, Hard As This. The autobiographical Gypsy Child, on which she sounds most like Dolly Parton, a clear influence, pretty much tells her tale, as does the title track - a brace of tunes that Dolly herself would probably be happy to put her name to. But while Ortega sure knows her Hank Williams, there is a bit of goth about her (the excellent I Want You) and a lot of rock'n'roll (All These Cats, which continues the biographical journey).

Keith Bruce