FNBP: Duvel & Laura Cantrell - Kitty Wells Dresses: Songs of the Queen of Country Music

Laura Cantrell is one of my favorite artists. Period. I've been waiting for a new album of hers for what seems like ages. So, when I heard that she was releasing an album of Kitty Wells covers, I was pretty darn excited. In case you're not familiar with the name, Kitty Wells is the Queen of Country Music, having inspired the likes of Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, and Tammy Wynett to name a few. Born in Nashville and married at 18, Wells' songs are irreverent (for the time) and all honky tonk and twang. What Cantrell brings to this collection is her voice of silk and an air of sophistication that somehow doesn't detract at all from the original. Just like Duvel, Cantrell's new album is crisp, light, but full of flavor. 

Duvel Belgian Golden Ale is a top contender for my favorite beer. Aside from the dunkel that I drank on top of a mountain at an abbey in Andechs, Germany, I can't think of a more pleasing choice for a warm summer afternoon. It is a light-colored, medium-bodied Belgian with smells of citrus and fruit, but perfectly dry and fizzy. And at 8.5%, it packs a nice kick in the butt -- not unlike Ms. Kitty Wells. There's a strength to the beer and to the album that can't be denied. 


If you visit Laura Cantrell's website, you can download a song from the album for free.