Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
If the title is a question, then the answer would be a simple yes, but it is loaded, for the listener will soon come to understand as they take in moment by moment the sound and expression of Kimberly Morgan York’s debut album Found Yourself A Lady, that what they have actually discovered, stumbled upon with delight, is an artistic soul who fought the metaphorical devils and come out the other side with her veins filled with intent, her mind a blazing, and the stomach for a fantastic tune fortified and steeled.
If music is a reflection, or even an extension of personality, then Kimberly Morgan York’s debut is one of brimming character, a disposition of persona that is both framed as a heart stirring ode to her life, and one that exudes individuality as each note caresses the present as if it the expensive fur of a mythical beast tamed.
Found Yourself A Lady might be the type of title that is loaded in such a way to either enthral and intrigue, or one that has the ability to enrage, for in this modern era the use of such a word could conjure up in some eyes an idea of anti-feminist belief, or even be considered a class issue; and yet neither of those hit the mark, in fact the target is so far away that the barrel of injustice soon fizzles out and what remains is soul, country driven and southern celebrity, for in tracks such as Don’t Cry To Me, Lady, Deuces and Jacks, Glory, You’ll Pay, Let Me Go and Now I Lay Me, the secrets of her life are revealed in song, the beating, rampaging joy of a woman at peace with her decisions is dignified, and responsive.
This is class, not one steeped in outdated tradition, but a wave of a nature that is built on the experiences of a life, and one that has learned, and gone on to instruct others with panache and a devil rockin’ tune.
Found a lady, perhaps, but uncovered a gem, unearthed a woman’s natural and outstanding heart most certainly. Kimberly Morgan York’s music hits the places where most others would not dare to reach out for.
Ian D. Hall