With a last name like Rock, Stacy was fated to be either a musician or the maker of a child’s nursery furniture. Carpentry’s loss is music’s gain. And while her style leans more towards country-pop than rock, it’s but a semantic quibble. By any name, Stacy’s music is a joy, tinged with the natural sultriness of lounge singers. Think Kim Bassinger in the Fabulous Baker Boys in today’s smoke-free New York lounges (and therefore minus the trademark smoky vocals resulting from years of imbibing and absorbing a cocktail of whisky and unfiltered cigarette/cigar smoke). Now combine that with a restrained Jewel-like vibrato. Double the talent and appeal and you’ll begin to know and appreciate this redhead’s CD. From the personal and engaging “You Boys Lie”, to the playful “The Human Court”, Stacy demonstrates an ease that belies her (judging by the back cover shot) young years.
Close your eyes and try to not to picture Stacy, flooded in a soft spotlight, gripping the old-time microphones as she oozes out “Don’t Change”. Can’t be done. With haunting Billy Joel-like piano accompaniment, this one’s a favorite you’re not likely to soon forget.
Ask any actor which they prefer playing, the good girl, or the bad girl; and if they’re being honest they’ll admit the bad girl offers more depth, more texture and more just plain old-fashioned hutzpah than the goodie-two-shoes. Stacy’s evidently caught on to this reality and plays it up beautifully in “The Bad Girl”. The flip-side to this brashy cut would be “Whiskey & Bourbon”, a peaches and cream, little ol’ me piece that again demonstrates her versatility and charm. Whether you’re sipping Long Island ice teas on the front verandah, or driving cross country to visit an old friend, “One Way Home” is guaranteed to heighten the experience and make it all the more memorable. Parting crumb of advice: if you’re feeling lonesome or looking to shake the blues, take a raincheck for “Raincheck Banjolin”: there’s something beyond melancholy about this cut that’s best avoided unless what you’re really looking for is an excuse for a good cry.