> October 3, 2002 > Arts > Disc Reviews

SALLY NORVELL
CHOKING VICTIM ****
Kunst Editions

Sally Norvell's voice rubs against you like a handful of silk with a little bit of sand. A low, animal wail crouches just behind the tear-stained human facade. She's a red dress in a smoke-filled room; sultry, sexy and just a little bit dangerous, but it's the kind of danger that feels so good. Norvell has paid her dues in the trenches of the alternative music scene. She began her recording career in 1980 with the Texas-based punk band the Norvells. From there, along with members of the Jesus Lizard, she recorded an album of songs from the 1920s called "Prohibition Flophouse." She has worked as an actress, most notably in Wim Wenders Paris, Texas. She has collaborated with Mark Eitzel, Foetus and Firewater, among others. During the 1990s Norvell collaborated with veteran guitarist Kid Congo Powers, whose resume includes the Gun Club, the Cramps, and Nick Cave's band, the Bad Seeds, as Congo Norvell. As a duo they recorded three full-length albums and a four-song EP. While musically successful, Norvell's experiences with the record industry during this time led her finally to do it herself. Her latest album, Choking Victim, was written and produced completely outside of the industry system. Recorded live in an empty auditorium, accompanied most often by the piano work of Paul Wallfisch, Norvell's voice rings out with quiet power. Though she sings of loss and bitterness, she is convinced that salvation lies in love and the struggle it entails. Powers makes a cameo appearance, most notably on the album's title track, a departure from the character of the rest of the album. Norvell sings, verbatim, the instructions for performing the Heimlich maneuver. Given the timbre and inflection of her voice, combined with Powers' own low-pitched and dangerous drawl, the words take on meaning far beyond their original intention. Phrases like "straddle the victim's chest," and "with a quick, upward thrust," are laden with sexuality. The juxtaposition of this imagery with the idea of saving a life is the perfect metaphor for the themes of the rest of the album. Death can come quickly and unexpectedly, and can be defeated only in the short term by active engagement with life.

-- WAYNE WISE

The drummer is usually the most overlooked member in any band, second only perhaps to the bass player. Therefore, it is unusual to come across any solo releases by drummers, especially in this city. Enter Joe Waslousky, one of the best-kept secrets and certainly the most modest local drummer. Waslousky previously beat the skins in Hipster Dufus and currently plays with Hewlett Anderson. Waslousky rounded up some of the best talent in town to play on his album: Dave Hanner (Corbin and Hanner), Dave Brown (the Gathering Field, Hewlett Anderson), Dale Cinski (formerly of Ice Cream Headache), Korel Tunador (Crisis Car) and Dave Budway to name a few. Waslousky's 14-track CD is bursting with jazz, rock and fusion flavor. He effectively runs the gamut with both original songs and artfully arranged covers of songs by artists such as John Coltrane, Traffic, Pat Metheny and even the Grateful Dead and the Beatles. But don't be fooled by the rock music; this is a jazz/fusion album and it kicks it out quite nicely. Every song is a delightful musical surprise. Particularly haunting is Dave Hanner's "Tired of Being Gone." There is very little to be excited about in the music world in this day and age, but this is an album worth getting worked up over. The cover is unique and creative, each song written or chosen is given a detailed explanation and gives the listener a glimpse into the thoughtful intelligence of this talented musician.

-- J.E. ROSENFELD