MP3 Li´l Mo & the Monicats - Hearts in My Dream

Traditional country and rockabilly, with swing and a touch of bluegrass.

11 MP3 Songs
COUNTRY: Traditional Country, ROCK: Rockabilly



Details:
I remember the frst time I heard Emmylou Harris and her excellent âPieces Of the Skyâ LP. Her crystalline voice made the most mundane tune shine like a fine jewel. Monica Passin is a pretty fair country singer herself and makes the comparison easy on this excellent independently produced CD. Like Emmy, Monica sings from church with delicate finery. But she has a sly side, too, and like Maria Muldaur (from the Warner Bros. years) she quivers, shimmies, and flirts- especially on âThe Great Indoors.â From the rockabilly of âWaitâll I Get You Homeâ to the absolutely gorgeous âStill Cryinâ,â Monica shines with a passion and talent rarely equaled. Thereâs a lot more bluegrass and traditional music than one would expect on this, considering its retro cover. But âHearts In My Dreamâ proves that not all alt. country is electric guitars and three chords. In fact, thereâs very little âaltâ about it. A couple of shuffles, âIâm Still Walkinââ in particular, allow Monica to charm snakeskin offân a pair of boots. While the cover tunes show respect for the classics- Roger Miller and George Jonesâ title track and Don Everlyâs âThe Sun Keeps Shiningâ - the sassiness of âThe Great Indoorsâ and the tenderness of âI Will Give My Love,â both written by Monica, are far more impressive. And âStill Cryinââ is one of the best doggoned songs Iâve heard in a long time, with excellent pickinâ from Tony Trischka and classic harmonies by YâAll. This is an album that can sit next to âPieces Of The Skyâ and not feel the least bit intimidated.
-A Daily Dose
Get Your Dose of Music
Michael Clark, reviewer


Passin is an uncommonly mature honky-tonk singer who unearths a terrific lost George Jones tune for the title track and positively nails Don Everly's âThe Sun Keeps Shinin'.'' Her own âStill Cryin' '' may be the set's highlight, and âThe Great Indoors'' is a sassy come-on that would play well on any gray snow day in Minnesota.
...âWait'll I Get You Home'' just may be the sexiest swing dance song ever...
-Jim Walsh, music critic
St. Paul Pioneer Press (Minnesota)



Making her move rather late in the year, Monica Passin walks away with my vote for BEST COUNTRY SONG OF 1999. It may not hurt that "Still Cryin'" features Fats Kaplin on fiddle and Tony Trischka on banjo, but Passin demonstrates right there that she can write and deliver outstanding country music in the classic mold. And she has at least one follow-up A side in "It Just Doesn't Add Up." Her eponymous 1997 debut came across, very appealingly, as a one woman jukebox, a collection of handcrafted singles rather than just an album, the fact that she's based in NYC adding a dash of exoticism. This time around, she retains very much the same 'Greatest Hits' feel but has risen to a whole new, even more impressive level. Passin is a shining example of the real benefit of alt. country-- it provides a shelter for people who still practice the art of real country.
-John Conquest, editor
3rd Coast Music (Austin)



Monica Passin, whose stage name is Li'l Mo, is one of New York's most committed and undiluted country singer-songwriters. With her band, the Monicats, Li'l Mo has recently issued her second album, Hearts In My Dream, on her own Passin Fancy label. Like the first Li'l Mo album, the new one boasts superior writing in a variety of country sub-genres, great taste in cover songs, inspired playing, and vocals that are skilled, sincere, and transporting. Her talent deserves national recognition.
- Jim Steinblatt
ASCAP News
Performing Songwriter Magazine