Never Going Back

Copeland herself is always gloriously centre-stage. [Jun 2009, p.108]

This is a more basic, stripped-down affair, yet Copeland's vocals are no less powerful. Boy, has she got a set of lungs.

Rather than debut with her new label by methodically working the groove that got her here, she has cut a dozen tunes that suggest she's ready to crunch a few genres.

This is a more basic, stripped-down affair, yet Copeland's vocals are no less powerful. Boy, has she got a set of lungs.

It's not a big departure for Ms. Copeland, but it does open up a new way to hear her, backed by musicians like Mr. Wood, the keyboardist John Medeski and the guitarist Marc Ribot.

It’s not a big departure for Ms. Copeland, but it does open up a new way to hear her, backed by musicians like Mr. Wood, the keyboardist John Medeski and the guitarist Marc Ribot.

Rather than debut with her new label by methodically working the groove that got her here, she has cut a dozen tunes that suggest she's ready to crunch a few genres.

Such gospel-blues burners as "Rise Up" and "Big Brand New Religion" show Copeland can still shake the rafters when she wants to, but the further she gets from where she's already been, the more rewarding this album is to follow.

Such gospel-blues burners as "Rise Up" and "Big Brand New Religion" show Copeland can still shake the rafters when she wants to, but the further she gets from where she's already been, the more rewarding this album is to follow.

She has the potential to be the next Ann Peebles, a real superstar in the blues world. But first she needs to snap that leash.