It seems like ages since Sasha McVeigh packed her bags and said goodbye to the UK. Her time on the UK scene was fairly meteoric, a couple of UK tours that also introduced us to The Cains, Sonia Leigh among others and she also left us with an excellent debut album "I Stand Alone".
Since arriving in the US her output has been a bit more sporadic but her quality control has never dipped and her repertoire has steadily been added to with a run of cracking singles. Her latest "Black Label" continues the run and all but erases our memories of the singer with her Disney fixation - in fact you'd be hard pressed to even know she hails from the UK especially after a particularly rootsy opening, she opens the chorus with lines like
"Born East of the City - I was born in the wrong side!"
So perfectly has Sasha assimilated that she is more American than some Americans!! The opening verse sees Sasha lay out who she is, her timbre is a little deeper now and her attitude - well that is off the sassy scale!!
"Got an SUV circa 96, my guy's in the shotgun cos he don't drive sick!
Not trying hitched but I drive one - Not trying to get rich but I get it done
Bought a house with some land down by the creek, got the porch screen doors and the kitchen sink
Not trying to show off but I'll show ya that I've got it all and I don't need much "
Sasha has always had the ability to create these bigger than life characters as anyone who has heard "No Strings Attached Romance" can testify - "Black Label" is surely her wildest most vivid yet!
"Take the champagne and wine off the table - I'm not black tie, I'm Black Label!"
The second verse lay out a slightly different side from the girl who "just needs a dime in the jukebox for a good time"
She's not one dimensional and is actually incredibly supportive
"When life's 9 to 5 i've got your six - when you're hung out to dry I've got your fix
I'm not living halfway I'm all in, that's not going to change - Hell I promise"
Sasha has one final line that ties everything together.
"Now I ain't saying that I ain't got class - it's just there's a little more fire in my glass"
All throughout her band truly rock, there's powerful back beat, keyboards and a phalanx of guitars each adding something unique to make a quite up front, in your face sound - a bit like the lady of the song!
You only live once and Sasha continues to do just that - may she keep turning out little gems like this.