Jessica Lee Wilkes, Lone Wolf

Review by Andrew Wilcox
Music Reviewer

Artist – Jessica Lee Wilkes
Album –  Lone Wolf
Label – Free Dirt Records
Date of Release – 6/16/2015
Website – http://www.jessicaleewilkes.com/

Lone Wolf is Jessica Lee Wilkes’ first solo record after touring and recording with the band JD Wilkes and the Dirt Daubers for the past five years. It’s unlike anything that has been released recently! Tinkling piano, R&B saxophone, and surf/rockabilly lead guitar lines; Lone Wolf’s songs are a hybrid of all these classic styles, sounding like new music but playing homage to Wilkes’ influences. With electronic sounds becoming the norm in popular music, Wilkes bare bones classic rock & roll sound really stands out among the sea of new releases.

For this record, Wilkes put down the standup bass she usually plays for an electric bass guitar, allowing her to explore different territory than her work with the Dirt Daubers (who are more of a roots acoustic band). These five tracks penned by Wilkes’ will rock your socks off instrumentally and vocally as well. Highlights include “Love Like Crazy” and “Somethings Goin’ On”.

The very organic sounding band on Lone Wolf complements Wilkes’ confident clear vocal deliveries, Wilkes is something completely different than most female vocalists writing about sour relationships on the music scene today. She uses an old formula but made a record of refreshingly exciting music. “Out with the old and in with the new” says Wilkes’ in “Go Ahead Baby”. A unique rock & roll voice coupled with her 1950s-esque lyrics makes Wilkes’ solo debut, Lone Wolf, a smashing success.