Eilen Jewell: Butcher Holler: A Tribute to Loretta Lynn

Loretta Lynn came out of Butcher Hollow, Kentucky, and hit the country music charts like a lightning strike. Her outspoken, no-nonsense songs refused to shrink away from topics that female singers of her time were expected to avoid. “Fist City” and “You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man)”, for example, hold obvious hints of danger, while songs like “Another Man Loved Me Last Night” might raise a few eyebrows even now. Eilen Jewell revisits Lynn’s catalog on Butcher Holler, shining a light on obscurities as well as classics. Jewell has carved out her own niche with a smokey, noirish sound, full of shadows and reverb (her upcoming album isn’t called Queen of the Minor Key for nothing). Consequently, her take on Lynn’s songs often sets a very different mood. Jewell doesn’t attempt to redefine Lynn’s songs; instead, her breezy, often smiling delivery marks Butcher Holler as a labor of love. Backed by her crack band, Jewell sticks close to the unadorned heart of the songs and honors one of her biggest influences.