Kimmie Rhodes

Covers (Sunbird)

For her first studio effort after the death of life partner/producer Joe Gracey, Kimmie Rhodes offers songs written by a broad range of legendary songwriters and the results are decidedly mixed. Covers finds Rhodes in her sweet spot, singing timeless melodies “What a Wonderful World” and “Yesterday,” but her voice remains too fragile for the Rolling Stones’ “Moonlight Mile” and Tom Petty’s “Southern Accents,” where the jagged edges are smoothed away. At 15 songs, a good trimming could’ve made Covers less predictable as well. Townes Van Zandt’s “White Freightliner Blues” (misidentified on the album cover) has been covered a few times too many, and Rhodes brings little that’s new to it. Guest appearances by Delbert McClinton, Rodney Crowell, and Marcia Ball add much-needed flavor, but overall this set of Covers lacks a consistent vision.

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This article appears in November 29 • 2013.

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