B.B. Cole is far from a household name in American music markets. However, her sophomore collection Of Love and Loss may signal a change.
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Her Austrian roots are no impediment to her connecting with Americana music. Cole inhabits each of her second album’s songs with matchless authenticity. You wouldn’t know she is European-born unless someone told you. She begins Of Love and Loss with a duet. “(The Tale of) Lady Primrose” is an unforgiving yet eminently artful composition pairing her with American ex-pat singer/songwriter Marc Miner. His rough-hewn presence contrasts dramatically with Cole’s far more classically beautiful voice. The lyrics spotlight Cole’s storytelling acumen, but it’s her and Miner’s individual and collective vocal excellence imbuing “(The Tale of) Lady Primrose” with the necessary color.
“Poor Beatrice” is another early peak moment. We move away from the duetting of the opener, but Americana remains on the front burner. The same flair for condensed characterizations marking the opener’s writing resurfaces here, but something else seals the deal entirely. Cole’s ear blends her lyrics and the music in a way that enhances each other. “Poor Beatrice” is arguably one of the finest examples of that skill in action.
She explores relaxed gospel influences during “Close at Hand” through the song’s massed backing vocals. Cole gives the arrangement a jaunty bluesy step, but tasteful restraint restrains her from overplaying her hand. Recurring ghostly strains of pedal steel guitar fill “Wave of Love” with an unexpectedly haunted quality. It juxtaposes well with Cole’s voice, and a dollop of backing vocals reinforces her inviting tone. Sharp interplay between mandolin and guitar and a steady bass line are among the musical highlights of “The Lion and the Virgin”. However, Cole’s storytelling prowess is again the true highlight and finds complementary accompaniment from the arrangement’s clean unfettered shuffle.
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“The Sun Song” is pure slow blues. The lead guitar work pierces any possible defense from listeners, and Cole’s passionate vocals are a convincing stylistic fit. It’s one of the album’s longer songs, but never self-indulgent. Introducing violin into the musical mix profoundly affects “A Stolen Art”, but she uses it surprisingly. Many listeners might expect the violin’s contributions to be solid bluegrass, but that isn’t the case. The underlying acoustic guitar plays a role in the song’s success, and it’s unquestionably one of the best lyrics.
Another of the best lyrics arrives with Of Love and Loss’ longest cut, “Hide and Seek”. It is laden with concrete details that bring the song to life for listeners. Drawing connections between childhood games and relationship politics will resonate with listeners. Cole delivers a seemingly very considered, deliberate vocal, but it’s full of emotion. A song such as this, the true climax for Of Love and Loss, puts an emphatic exclamation point on Cole’s dozen musical depictions of life and how we live it. It’s one of 2024’s best albums, in any style, from any artist, and deserves your full attention.
Clay Burton