BLOG CRITICS: With her second solo album, Foul Deeds, singer-songwriter Pegi Young may be about to break away from the long shadow cast by her more famous husband, rock legend Neil Young. Not literally of course. Despite the many songs expressing themes of heartbreak and loss heard on Foul Deeds, Pegi has assured us that she and Neil are doing just fine, thank you very much.
However, Foul Deeds does represent a bold enough progression from her self-titled 2007 solo debut, that Pegi Young seems to be poised for an artistic breakthrough of her own. With a mix of strong originals like “Traveling” (which is heard in two versions on the album) and the title track, as well as well-chosen covers like Will Jennings’ “Pleasing To Me” (that nicely compliment the overall storytelling arc of Foul Deeds), any bets against it would at the very least be unwise.
The album, released this past June by Vapor Records (the indie imprint started up by her husband and Elliot Roberts — who also manages both acts), has been getting some very positive reviews. A series of small venue concerts by Pegi and her band that took place on the West Coast this past June, were likewise well received by audiences and critics alike.
In October, Pegi Young will once again take the Foul Deeds show out on the road, this time hitting small venues mostly on the East Coast. As was the case with the shows in June, Pegi and her all-star band (which includes such veterans of her husband’s recordings as keyboardist Spooner Oldham and bassist Rick Rosas) will be sharing the bill with Scottish folk singer/songwriter/guitarist Bert Jansch. They will however, be minus one key member, the great multi-instrumentalist Ben Keith, who sadly passed away in July at the age of 73. MORE
Pegi Young Plays JBs Sat, October 9, 2010 9:00 PM $10.00 – $12.00