Sallie Ford
Slap Back
Vanguard
Raucous, profane, and unapologetic, Sallie Ford relishes playing the provocateur. On the exhilarating Slap Back, the Portland, Oregon-based singer-songwriter debuts her new all-female backing band, sounding like the early, badass Elvis Costello who fronted the Attractions. Buoyed by waves of punky garage rock, Ford addresses urgent issues like romance and lust in her usual blunt language (“Give Me Your Lovin'”), while illuminating her own struggles (“So Damn Low”) and pausing for moments of surprising tenderness, observing, “Loves may come and lovers may go. But I’m here for the long haul, I hope you know” in “Hey Girl.” For all the catchy tunes and tough grooves, Ford’s greatest asset is her rowdy charisma.
