Sex sells, and it's an avenue that Coral Lee & The Silver Scream have chosen to go down, at least as far as the album cover is concerned. There is, however, more to Coral Lee Farrow and her band than just a seductive cover photo, something which is evident as soon as you press play on Rocky Road To Io.
Dancin' The Night Away is an excellent choice of opening track and gets the album off to a great, upbeat start, setting the mood and tempo perfectly. Farrow's deliciously smooth vocals are the perfect companion to her band's equally silky musicianship. There is a strong sense of cohesion throughout the 13 songs (11 of which were penned by Farrow), yet it manages to maintain the listener's interest to the last note. This is due not only to strong songwriting, but also to the solid performances from all involved. There is not one moment where the delivery of the songs, which were recorded live in the studio, sound in any way forced. Rocky Road To Io is simply an excellent mix of roots, blues, jazz and swing.
Farrow has surrounded herself with equally talented musicians, with The Silver Scream comprising Ben Franz (The Waifs) on lap steel, Elise Winterflood (Jelly Tub Rollers) on double bass, and Ben Hendry (Flap!) on drums. The album was recorded and mixed by Paulie Bignell (The Detonators), who also provided the guitar solo in Honky Tonk Parade.
Rocky Road To Io is a dynamic and very impressive album, and highlights Farrow as an excellent Australian exponent of roots music.
