Our Pick: Wayne Lavallee

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Artist-Wayne Lavallee

Album-Green Dress

Song-Green Dress

Label-Independent

Producer-

Kevin Kane

with Wayne Lavallee

Important sound, lyrics in new CD from the coast

Wayne Lavallee has the most interesting voice. Think the growls that set rocker Melissa Ethridge apart, and the amazing range of Simply Red. Then think about putting that on the powwow trail and you've got an approximation of the material that can be found on Green Dress.

Lavallee's sound is earthy and rich. His confident acoustic guitar works well with Jesse Zubot's virtuoso violin on such tracks as Heart Land and Savanna and adds a nice contrast to the heavy electric bass played by Kevin Kane on Breathe.

What particularly sets this CD head and shoulders ahead of the rest is the compelling lyrics that give a nod to the traditional while placing the Indian in the modern context. In Green Dress, Lavallee sings It's intertribal time. Now's my chance. I think I'll go and ask the girl with the green dress for a dance. I thought to myself if I could impress you, I would dance you a fancy and a crow hop just for you.

In Silence Lavallee sings I can't breath. I can't find my own way. Shell shocked. I hear a bomb. Hey man, there's a revolution going on. Didn't you read the writings on the wall...

In Heartland, much of the lyric is in Cree and talks of missing family and friends. Only one line is in English. It will be a long time till I'll see you again.

These tracks mentioned are the best on the CD, unique and important.

A few missteps turn Green Dress from really great to just really good. Caught up in a Jam and Let It Go are too heavy, over-instrumentalized, the lyrics halting, the message over-written. Dusty Warrior is completely out of place, though good for another CD.

Green Dress ends well, however, and Powwow Honey could become a round dance favorite and certainly should make our most active list soon.