If my family should ever disown me and I’m forced to find a new one, I would start by begging Loudon Wainwright III to adopt me. Talent seems to spew from his every orifice and I want a piece of it. He already gave his envy-worthy genes to three incredibly talented musicians — Rufus and Martha Wainwright and Lucy Wainwright Roche. Roche, in my estimate, got the lion’s share of that talent, though.
Roche, like her father and her mother (Suzzy Roche of The Roches), makes music that fits perfectly within the Folk genre. Her storytelling seems just as much influenced by her Folk roots as by her former life as an elementary teacher. She’s graduated from picture books, though. Roche sets a scene better than anyone, transporting you to her times of love and loss without the need for illustrations. Her voice is big, beautiful and sweet, capable of pulling the weight of a song backed only with a guitar and also of standing out against the wave of sound from a more complicated arrangement.
Aside from her unyielding talent, Roche also comes to the stage with a back-pocket full of stories and her face overwhelmed with a smile. No amount of time spent with the Wainwright and Roche musical talents could ever lead to my ability to sing without inducing migraines. However, I’d still love to claim Roche as a sister, if only to spend a little more time with her than what she allots us on stage here in Cincinnati this week.
LUCY WAINWRIGHT ROCHE opens for Cheryl Wheeler Thursday at The Redmoor. Tickets/more info here .
