The Armpit Collection

This is a new series I'm beginning. It's called the Armpit Collection. Each post in the series will be about a Record that has touched my heart in mysterious ways, to the point that if instructed to grab what I can for eternity, this would be one I'd tuck under my arm before I walked away.

Truly She Is None Other - Holly Golightly Damaged Goods 2003

This is my first and original introduction to the British songstress. At the cross street of Lombardy & Cary Streets in Richmond, VA, our fellow blogger NattyMcDanielson used to grace the second floor (and first floor, but somewhat muted) with the lovely and broken sounds of this record. I think I recall simply asking, "What is this?"

"Holly Golightly."

"What?"

(hands record sleeve)

"Ahhh...oh."

I fell somewhat in love with the exclusivity and underdog status of such a beautiful, yet unpolished and relatively unknown singer. This record marks the initial step into the upper-realms of recording greatness for Miss Golightly, in terms of traditional music in the modern world. It coincided with her appearance with the White Stripes ("well it's true that we love one another"). This album combines all the elements that make Holly cool - (1)slower, sensual bluesy ballads, (2)aggressively attacked, early R&B, and (3)the marriage of tremelo guitar and harmonizing-hypnotic vocals. Her band is brilliant, as they would say across the Atlantic, but not annoying. "Don't get in the fucking way," the producer probably said, "just lay down the bloody groove." I can say there's not a bad song on this record, but more importantly, there's a flow, which is even more impressive considering she managed to sneak two Davies songs in the mix, of Kinks fame, and two other covers. It goes to show she knows how to make a record sound real good.