The Star Pheonix

by Cam Fuller

She's playing here in the new year, so there's still time to give Romi Mayes credit for her album Sweet Somethin' Steady. Dark, gut-shot, alt-country starts off this album by the Winnipeg musician. Just as you're thinking it might not be worth the heartache, she kicks into a countrified, electric mission statement called How I Roll ("I'm too close to dyin' to let you waste my time'') that would make Steve Earle step back and take notice. I might have written that fans of the woman-empowered, Mary Chapin Carpenter school of songwriting would appreciate this disc. I could at least have pointed out the show-stopper, the swampy, steamy The Other Dame ("I'm righteous but I'm randy, your love tastes like candy, bring it on"). What a gal.