Five years after their first show in a Raleigh bar where the owner gave them their name so he could run an ad in the local paper, Tres Chicas is finally unveiling to the public their debut album, rescuing it from the back burner to which it had been consigned as its three principals pursued other priorities. Sweetwater was worth the wait; it’s a seemingly effortless album that showcases not only the trio’s harmonies but also their songwriting skills and understated arrangements.
Lynn Blakey leads Glory Fountain, whose last album, The Beauty Of 23, was a hidden treasure that didn’t get noticed much beyond the band’s native North Carolina. Caitlin Cary was a founding member of Whiskeytown and has released two widely acclaimed solo albums. Tonya Lamm was a member of Hazeldine, which had major-label success overseas but flew mostly under the radar in this country.
The album cover shows the backs of three tightly-coifed women holding hands as they peer out at a shadowy fountain. The liner tell us this was originally the cover of an album by the Gospel Light Ladies Trio, but it’s the perfect photo to capture Tres Chicas. Their harmonies are so perfect because they sound natural: There are the notes of friendship caught in those voices coming into one. On the same token, the three chicas exchange leads on the songs the way only ego-free old friends could do, and they offer their own compositions as well.
It’s tempting to focus on the beauty resulting from the harmony of these three voices, but the truest strength is the songwriting. The lyrics stand on their own next to the classics the women have wisely chosen to cover: Loretta Lynn’s “Deep As Your Pocket”, Lucinda Williams’ “Am I Too Blue” (buoyed by the support of bluegrass band Chatham County Line) and George Jones’ “Take The Devil Out Of Me”.
The Chicas’ original compositions are mostly meditations on love, but all are fresh and full of poetry. “Desire”, written by Cary, Chris Stamey (who produced the album) and Mike Daly, is an experimental short story set to music. “When Was The Last Time”, penned by all three women, is the best track on the album, with the record’s tightest harmonies and perfect arrangement. Such lyrics as “When was the last time/You felt good in your skin/When was the last time/You let somebody in” strike that balance of simplicity and poetry that allows for long-lasting impact. Blakey’s “Heartbeat” (“I could see your pretty eyes/Making alibis”) would make a great single if such a thing were still possible on an independent-label album.
Sweetwater might have benefited from a couple more fast songs (the rousing “Deep As Your Pocket” whets the appetite for more rollickers), but that might have taken time away from such keepers as “In A While” (“You bring the bar home in the smell of your hair/It wilts the flowers that girlhood put there”). Still, they close on an upbeat note with “Take The Devil Out Of Me”, which comes off sounding comical and reverent at the same time. The album, like its cover, captures the beauty that can rise up out of friendship and mutual respect.
