Sally Timms: Cowboy Sally's Twilight Laments... For Lost Buckaroos

Sally Timms' voice is almost too pretty for punk, a shimmering contrast to the rough edges of rock 'n' roll. But that quality has often worked to her advantage: She has long been the Mekons' secret weapon, sneaking up on listeners with her sweet vocals before cursing like a sailor. Timms joined the band just as it was beginning to jump alive into its country-music phase, and since then she has steadfastly remained the stamp of class on whatever record the band releases. As a solo artist, however, Timms remains a redoubtable chanteuse, commanding the work of only the best songwriters. For Cowboy Sally's Twilight Laments, a collection running the gamut of country styles, Timms has attracted a good number of musical suitors, including strong submissions from the likes of Robbie Fulks, The Handsome Family, Jill Sobule, and fellow Mekon Jon Langford. It's Langford who supplies "Dark Sun," an early highlight that showcases Timms' eerie, weary singing at its best; over a subtle and spooky slapback rhythm, she weaves the cowboy tale with such menace that it could clear a campfire. Fulks conjures up a perfect Celtic bluegrass ballad, "In Bristol Town One Bright Day," that allows the English émigré to travel back to the British Isles without leaving Chicago, while Guy Lawrence's "Dreaming Cowboy" lets her interpret some silly corral cheese with a straight face. It's clear that no matter what Timms sings, she'll always come out on top: She sounds downright angelic on Johnny Cash's "Cry Cry Cry" and deftly shifts from Spanish to English throughout "Cancion Para Mi Padre" without once sounding less than authentic. The rest of the album is no less beautiful, finding Timms sounding perfectly at home on the range.