As Canadian singer Ollee Owens croons on the title cut to her latest album, there is “Nowhere to Hide” when trouble comes. This track opens the release and sets the mood. Owens has a strong, expressive voice that offers protection. She knows terrible times are coming. That doesn’t mean we have to give up or give in. Indeed, we need to stand tall. That’s what blues music is all about. It encourages us to fight back and find joy in life’s struggles.
Owens does more than belt out the lyrics, although she can get loud and proud on tracks such as “My Man” and “Solid Ground”. The Canadian singer co-wrote most of the material and addresses the yin and yang of contemporary existence. “Blue skies always come after the rain / Clouds don’t stop moving,” she sings in “Some Days”. That song captures the essence of her life philosophy. Some days may seem upside down, but the sun will always rise again. Even when things fall apart, as in “All in Pieces”, the singer knows everything will be all right.
Maybe even better than just okay, as in the feeling one gets when with that special person. As the song title “Shivers and Butterflies” indicates, love can be a magical experience. Ollee Owens is a blues singer. Her love is a physical thing. This music literally has muscle behind it. Muscle Shoals guitarist Will McFarlane opens a wide groove on eight of the 11 tracks. He keeps things soulful.
Owens is accompanied by a crackerjack band featuring drummer Bobby Blazier on all cuts, Tommy Sims on bass, & DeMarco Johnson and Gabe Klein on various keyboards on most other tracks. They create a consistent groove that allows Owens to vamp and shine when needed. That is especially true in their rendition of Los Lobos‘ “The Neighborhood”.
The other notable cover is Bob Dylan‘s sanctified-sounding tune, “Lord Protect My Child”. Owens has three daughters, including one with special needs. Dylan’s song is a plea to God on behalf of his child because we live in a “world that’s been raped and defiled”. The Manitoba-born singer offers a version straight out of the African American churches in the South, complete with a gospel choir and saxophone solo. The track comes last. Rather than end the album on a hopeful note, Owen continues to express that quintessential blues vibe of “we are all in this together” no matter what troubles come down the road.
Lyrically, the term “Nowhere to Hide” is frequently associated with the chorus to Martha and the Vandellas’ hit “Nowhere to Run”. That song described withholding love as a way to prevent being hurt. Owens takes the opposite tack to reach the same goal. It’s love that she’s searching for as a way to stand up to the pain of living. The singer knows trouble may always be on the horizon, but one has to stay on course. Ollee Owens’ voice declares this to be so in a full-throated way. She understands that the blues implicitly shelters us all against life’s problems just through the act of sharing.