Make a note of this name and get in on the sawdust-covered ground floor
Who knew that the woman with some of the most convincing honky-tonk chops in recent memory would hail from Boston? Belting with conviction over a virtually Nudie-tailored wash of silvered pedal steel and squawky country guitars (which are even doubled for a classic Western-swing solo on “Miss Mary”), Borges consistently sounds more world-worn and wise than her age could possibly allow. Like Ryan Adams’ better country moments, the effect is not pastiche when the raw talent bridges that gap and an unbridled musical ambition drives it home. Her voice isn’t always perfect (think Sheryl Crow without the complicated quiet parts), but it’s out there and the songs carry it well, which, to my ears, beats the self-serving over-vocalizing of the Joss Stones of the world any day. While some buzz has already started to develop on Borges, this stuff screams for a wider audience on par with at least Lucinda, if not Gretchen Wilson. As country radio grows more solicitous of the whiskey-soaked end of the spectrum, you never know. Follow this one—she could lead you to some exciting places.