On The Record: Carry Illinois, Roxy Roca

Carry Illinois, “Alabaster.” Though the official release date for this record is April 7, the band should have copies for sale at its record-release show this Wednesday, March 25, at Cheer Up Charlie’s. Carry Illinois spotlights the songwriting and vocals of frontwoman Lizzie Lehman, an Illinois transplant whose melodic sound would have fit well into the radio playlists of 1970s and d’80s pop stations. Keyboards and guitars form a flowing framework for Lehman’s rich alto, which colors material that bypasses contemporary trends for a more classic song-centered approach. Much depends on the strength of the writing, and some of these songs end up drifting past instead of luring in. But the opening “Detroit Snow” connects instantly, and the raw emotionalism of “Unmerciful Month” brings to mind some of Amy Ray’s finer Indigo Girls work when Lehman reaches high for the paradoxical concluding line, “Hope this is the last one/ Here’s to the next one.”

 http://music.blog.austin360.com/2015/03/24/on-the-record-carry-illinois-roxy-roca/