Lil' Mo and the Monicats   On the Moon [2009] Cow Island Music CIM013 I Could Get Used To This - Rockin' Chair On The Moon - The Boy Who Loves The Blues - Dance Crazed - Why Don't You Love Me? - Baby Be Good - I Really Love (To Love You) - I'm Here Today - I've Got A New Heartache - He's A Handful - Dreamy Almost 10 years since Lil' Mo released her last album "Hearts In My Dreams" which is a bit too long for me but I guess this time was necessary to make such a rich and accomplished album and write this perfect songs (9 of the 11 are from Lil Mo's pen). And the good folks at Cow Island with their soon tobe legendary good taste didn't miss the chance to release it on a superb digipack. The outcome is a very versatile album and perfectly backed by the multi talented Hank Bones (drums, basses, guitar, dobro, steel, piano, cornet...), Lil' Mo offer a journey through American music from the 30's to the 60's. You find timeless Honky Tonk (I Could Get Used To This and Wayne Walker's I've Got A New Heartache), muscled hillbilly with a rockabilly hint on Bill Haley and The Saddlemen's Rockin Chair On the Moon and He's a Handful on which Monica's voice reminds me of the best sides of Rosie Flores. She also delivers a poignant appalachian ballad (the Boy Who Loves The Blues with a nice mandolin part and a heartbreaking fiddle) and good ol' Cajun music with Dance Crazed featuring Steve Riley of the Mamou Playboys fame. Why Don't You Live With Me is a beautiful pre-war blues with dobro and cornet. Fans of rhythm'n' blues/soul will rush on Baby Be Good (with a horn section) and those who are in a 60's mood will be delighted by I'm Here Today that features an amazing organ solo. Another highlight (but which song isn't?) is I Really Love To Love You a Spector styled pop song (still with Hank Bones in charge of the wall of sound). And what a better way to say goodbye than Dreamy, an acoustic ballad, featuring just Monica's crystal clear voice and Bones on guitar with some latin and jazzy echoes. Hopefully we won't have to wait another decade to hear more from the delicious Miss Passin. Available here. Fred "Virgil" Turgis