Robbie Fulks and Linda Gail Lewis are a bit of an unlikely pair. Fulks is a singer/songwriter who plays an offbeat blend of country and folk songs. Lewis is the sister of rock n’ roll legend Jerry Lee Lewis who has been recording her own brand of rock and roll since the ‘60s. Together Fulks and Lewis recorded and released a new album Wild! Wild! Wild!
The album features a number of originals and five covers. When listening to the record, it appears as though the duo is trying to upend many of the cliches that define the country music genre. In one particularly striking example, Lewis takes the lead on a Fulks-penned tune called “Till Death.” The song pays homage to Loretta Lynn’s feminist anthems such “The Pill” and “Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind).” Only Lewis pushes the female empowerment narrative to the next level, promising her no-good, cheating husband: “We said till death do us part and that’s now … Cause I’m gonna kill you!”
The standout among the covers is a rendition of “Who Cares,” a song by country singer/songwriter Don Gibson. It was a modest hit for Gibson in the late ‘50s, and covered by Fats Domino in 1963 and then Ray Charles in 1964. On this new version, Lewis takes the lead vocals. Together, she and Fulks perform it in a style that emulates the Buck Owens/Bakersfield sound of the ‘60s, with a fast-driving country beat and fiery guitar licks. A solid cover that fits in well with the edgy, rebellious spirit of the album.
Click here to listen to more covers by Robbie Fulks.
