Travels with Charlie is the Steinbeck-ian CD recorded by Austin based singer/songwriter Charlie Faye. In 2010, Faye toured the U.S., stopping in ten cites across the country and staying for a month in each, meeting local musicians and getting to know the local fare. While in each city, she took it upon herself to write and record a song.
Opener “Whirlwind” came together at the last-minute during her L.A. stopover. It was recorded at percussionist Dave Way’s home studio, and it is one of the better songs here, featuring twangy steel guitar, sparkling piano and lovely backing vocals. “Broken Heart Maker” recorded in Tucson, AZ with members of Calexico, takes a western swing style and features brassy horns. Milwaukee’s tune, the sweet, girl-crush ditty “Obvious To Me”, has a heartland pop vibe, with churning electric guitar and an addictive beat propelled by handclaps. The protagonist is a scorned lover in the aching waltz “Two Timer”, which, coupled with the weepy steel guitar is blatantly Nashville. “Shadow To Eclipse”, recorded in the hippie capital of Boulder, Colorado, is one of the more folksy songs here, focusing the attention on Faye’s sultry and sensual voice, with sparse strings and lush percussion backing. Travels with Charlie is a fine memoir from a young and talented singer/songwriter.