By Brian Rock
Rising honky-tonk hero, India Ramey brings the heat on her fourth album, Baptized By The Blaze. Fiery dancehall rhythms and spicy lyrics create a delectable dish of pure country bliss. Ramey, a former domestic violence prosecutor, takes musical aim at cheating lovers, shifty drifters, and leering lotharios. Her rapier wit never ceases to hit its target, and her band never ceases to hit all the right notes.
The title track sets the tone for the album. Haunting pedal steel and a churning rhythm section create a captivating honky-tonk/country noir soundscape. Ramey boldly proclaims, “Yesterday I set myself on fire. With my own hands I built that funeral pyre… and now I am alive because I died.” Evoking imagery of a phoenix rising from its own ashes, she reclaims her life by burning off the painful memories of the past. As a survivor of domestic violence herself, Ramey bravely slays the dragons of her past, then marches forward to fight for others. The band creates cinematic tension befitting the inner turmoil of a hero’s origin story.
Strengthened by her rebirth, Ramey is ready to take on the world. “Ain’t My First Rodeo,” is a double-barreled takedown of handsy pick-up artists. Singing, “You’re coming on too strong and your come on is all wrong,” she tries to send a friendly warning to an overzealous admirer. But when he persists, she lets him know, “You’re all smoke and mirrors; but these ain’t just boots, they’re bullshit kickers.” Classic honky-tonk guitar riffs and pedal steel create the perfect backdrop as Ramey verbally hogties her hapless antagonist. “Down for the Count,” recalls the sentiment of Chelsey Danfield’s, “Far Enough from You.” Putting distance and bourbon between her and her ex, Ramey tries everything (and everyone) she can to move on with her life. “Go On Git,” is a boot to the backside of a lazy lover who’s overstayed his welcome. “Never Going Back Again,” is a raucous declaration of freedom from a bad relationship. “Silverado,” mocks a smooth talker who, “had a silver tongue that tasted like whiskey. And his soul was black and bankrupt and empty.” “She Ain’t Never Coming Home,” is an outlaw country tale of a woman’s escape from a bad situation. Again and again, Ramey makes her point clear: if one acts like a jerk, they’ll lose their woman. Classic country rhythms and weepy pedal steel perfectly evoke the smoke filled, bare wood bars where these creepy casanovas seek their prey. But, continuing in the outspoken tradition of honky-tonk angels from Kitty Wells to Wanda Jackson to Lindi Ortega, Ramey is not afraid to stand up to bullies and tell it like it is.
Slowing things down a bit, Ramey embraces her inner Tammy Wynette on several ballads. But even at a slower pace, her fire still smolders. “Piece of My Mind,” is an invitation to get to know her, but a warning not to assume someone ever will. She sings, “If you want to know me, I’ll give you a piece of my mind. But I’m gonna have to warn you, it gets dark in there sometimes.” Remembering the ordeals she’s already overcome and the battles she’s fought, she confesses, “Everyday is Halloween.” Sometimes, even when someone wins, the demons can still haunt them. “It Could Have Been Me,” is more light hearted, as Ramey celebrates not being the one marrying a loser. “Rotten,” takes a larger look at the moral rot that permeates American politics. Waxing even more philosophically on, “The Mountain,” Ramey incorporates Appalachian folk rhythms to celebrate the mountains that watch all these human dramas play out over the centuries. Pointing out the folly of our short-sighted machinations, the mountain reminds us that we are just a speck in the history of this planet. Whatever we think we may gain by tricking or hurting others will be gone in an instant. Although she makes a good point here, nothing is more fun than listening to India Ramey kick ass and take names. She is a honky-tonk hell raiser of the best kind.
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Brian Rock
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