St Louis singer-songwriter Beth Bombara would probably not call herself the darling of the city’s music scene, but she is a true reflection of the depth and breadth of that city’s music – taking in traditionalism, eclecticism, respect for history and craft, and overwhelming American-ness.
Her album, ‘Evergreen’, shares themes, a tone, and a sound which is both raw and dreamlike at the same time. She’s made one continuous video for the album’s first two songs, ‘I Only Cry When I’m Alone’ and ‘Upside Down’. The two songs are a showcase for Beth’s rich, resonant, country-pop vocals, along with Samuel Gregg alongside on electric guitar. The pair express the same musical ideas. The second video picks up where the first one leaves off; but it showcases two different attitudes. The first is elegant, glamorous, and dramatically lit. Bombara is dressed in a series of fabulous outfits, appropriate for a night onstage at the Grand Ole Opry. For the second part of the video, she puts on a curly wig, while playing a janitor at the theatre where the first video is set (look carefully and you can see that she even sings into her feather-duster). It’s two sides of an accomplished, thoughtful artist who has never let her sense of solemnity get in the way of her playfulness.
You can find Beth Bombara online on her official website. Watch the combined videos for ‘I Only Cry When I’m Alone’, and ‘Upside Down’.
