There’s a new birth breaking into the country music scene, an album released at the end of the last 2008 summer, a gem which all the lovers of this genre should have in their own record-library: it is “COWBOY’S DAUGHTER “, the last work of the American artist Sarah Pierce.
The Cowboy’s Daughter is a precious outline of classical harmonies in the American tradition when it faithfully traces most of the emotional standards of the last 50 years.
Sarah Pierce was born in Illinois, but raised first in the west rural Texas and then in Colorado; since then, she has always deeply breathed the rustic air of a farm, surrounded by the love of her family of farmers.
After a master’s degree in medical science, Sarah tried for a while to be wholly absorbed in her new career, but the call of the farm’s sounds and for the music as a whole contributed to change her mind, so that at around the end of 80’s she started up her first band “The Healers” and in 1991 she would record her first album “West Texas Wind”.
Her last job bears the great name of Merel Bregante as its producer, drummer and percussionist as well as being Sarah’s husband, a man on the musical scene since more than 30 years, (firstly with Loggins & Messina, and then with The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and so many others).
Great musicians teamed up with Merel such as Cindy Cashdollar (Asleep At The Wheel) at the dobro, steel and lap steel guitar, who is nowadays considered one of the most requested artists between the American musicians (meanwhile she takes part to the last Van Morrison’s “Keep it Simple” and the newest album of Willie Nelson); among the musicians, John Mc Euen, the legendary banjoist and mandolinist of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, the brothers Cody and Willy Braun, the former at the fiddle and the latter as a perfect vocalist, coming directly from the Reckless Kelly, a country- rock band today in the American forefront of alt-country; Al Garth from the Eagles as solo violin; Riley Osbourne, at the acoustic piano; Rosie Flores, electric guitar; Eric Hanke, harmonica and the same Sarah with two famous Italian musicians such as Alex Adinolfi and Maurizio “Micio” Fassino at the acoustic guitars, capable of giving back really emotional harmonies by their floating touches.
13 tracks in which we can find the most distinctive moments in the American popular music, from “My Day in The Sun” to “Three Cigarettes”, passing to “Radio”, a fantastic folk ballad, where Sarah’s voice alternates the acoustic sounds of a playful and joyous run after, a really authentic and alive extent.
The so vibrant “What Would You Do” and “Last Real Cowboy” are two classical country standards of the 50’s, the first a waltz tempo in which stand out with neatness the Cody Braun fiddle.
So unique is “Cowboy’s Daughter”, the title truck, where the cowboy is the true prairie’s hero, an icon of the American past which has always gathered whole generations with the great passion for the “Far West”; listening to the tune, the acoustic sounds of John Mc Euen’s mandolin and banjo wonderfully emerge.
In “Wish It Away” the Pierce’s vocal timber reminds me that of some other stars in the past history of country music: Lynn Anderson when conveyed all her love in an amazing “Sometimes when We Touch” or previously in “Rose Garden”.
As much interesting as the others, “Charlie” is a softy piece written by a famous duo such as Bruce Robison and Lucinda Wlliams ( today “The First Lady” of progressive Americana or Alt-Country music) the bluegrass time in “Jacqueline”, highlighting the Riley Osbourne acoustic piano and the other Doug Hudson’s mandolin.
“I Thought I Knew You” reveals great emotions, for a love story roughly ended, where Sarah repeat with sadness “I thought I Knew you better than that, I never dreamed our love wouldn’t last, I fell for you in our first kiss under a falling star we made a wish, to be together endlessly till today”.
At last stands over “Tumbleweed Dreams” where Sarah highlights the true skill of a complete artist: writing songs, playing guitar and singing well.
Personally speaking, Sarah Pierce’s most relevant artistic skill can be found in her lyrics, where she expresses the man’s ethics values through which she gives life to a story, sometimes evocative, sometimes imaginative, where the dreams become integral, if not essential part in that living path which feels mostly the centrality of our being.
Now we are waiting for the next “Italian Tour” summer version of “Cowboy’s Daughter”.

Davide Frascella

Great lyrics, great groove, and some of the best guitar licks anyone will hear. I have had people inquire about this great band at gas stations just by hearing it blast on my stereo. I give the people Hughs website and find out later that they actually did buy it. Having someone buy a CD from a gas station is as strong as it gets.