LOUISA BRANSCOMB

LOUISA BRANSCOMB
GONNA LOVE ANYWAY

Compass Records 747382

   Louisa Branscomb’s life has always been influenced by trains. While growing up, and still today, she hears the whistles, the click-clack on the rails, and the screech of the brakes as the trains roll on by. Those sounds have become the basis for many of her songs, as this new project demonstrates. Songs include “Freight Train For A Song,” “End Of The Line,” and a reprise of her award-winning classic “Steel Rails,” which earned a Grammy Award for Alison Krauss in 1990.

Louisa is an award-winning songwriter. This collection of new songs written or co-written by her covers the many facets of her own life, but also of life’s overall experiences including songs of survival, songs of love and love’s ending, and of course train songs. Selections include “Ain’t No Good Goodbye” (you never even looked me in the eyes), “There’s No Marker On Our Grave” (searching for closure), and “Blackbird In The Rain” (surviving). Also included are “Gonna Love Anyway,” “Barefoot Girl,” “Blue Moon Blues,” and the charming “Riding Double On My Old John Deere.”

Louisa is joined in the studio by many of her friends and fellow artists, too many to list here, but there’s no denying the impressive talent that went into the making of this recording. Co-produced by Missy Raines, the project is a great listen and some of these songs should likely find their way into other folk’s repertoires. (Compass Records, 916 19th Ave. S, Nashville, TN 37212, www.compassrecords.com.)BF