Live Review: Eilen Jewell with Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles @ Eddie’s Attic, November 22

By Sam Parvin

When I found out Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles were finally
making their way back to Atlanta,
I knew I had to plan on going to the show. When I found out they were playing in one of the best-sounding rooms in Atlanta, my presence went
from probable to mandatory. On Sunday,
November 22, Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles, an Americana/alt-country /rock foursome from Boston,
Mass., opened to a packed Eddie’s
Attic. 

This tour is to promote their third full-length album, The
Stars Are Out, and the band played several songs from the album, like
“Symphony” (a more subdued track) and “Blue Moon in Decatur.”
They also rocked out with several selections from past albums like
“Daniel Lee” and “Pious Proud,” both from Silver City. On the albums and live, Borges chooses a few
select covers to add as well – mostly blues and roots pieces from the 1960s and
1970s, like Gram Parsons’ “Cry One More Time.”
Borges has a vocal style like that of Dolly Parton without a southern
accent, mixed with the laid-back air of a girl who could dig a five-star dinner
or a ballpark dog at Fenway just the same. Sarah is fun, upbeat and witty on stage. She and her crew – Lyle Brewer on lead guitar, Binky on bass, and Robert
Larry Dulaney on drums, along with Borges on rhythm guitar – deliver stories
about their time on the road, what inspired Sarah to write the songs she plays,
and jokes too. Sarah wears her dancing
shoes in every performance (worn-in cowboy boots) and encourages the audience
to join in the dancing. 

Eilen Jewell (pronounced Ē-len) and Sarah Borges complement
each other well. Both are intelligent
and entertaining, and their music and live shows reflect that. Jewell’s style is as if Johnny Cash and
Billie Holiday had a love-child in a Vegas lounge. Her band’s sounds are darker and more Western
than the pop-oriented Broken Singles. The band features an upright bass (played by Johnny Sciascia), electric
lead guitar (Jerry Miller), Jewell on rhythm guitar (acoustic-electric) and
Jason Beek on drums. As Eilen admits to
the crowd, “I only write sad songs; maybe that’s why I’m such a happy
person.” 

Eilen Jewell and band are also touring for their third
full-length album, Sea
of Tears, and they
played several tracks from it, such as the title track, as well as “Rain Roll
In,” and “Heartache Boulevard.”   They also selected a few covers from the
likes of Loretta Lynn and Billie Holiday, as well as tunes from their gospel
side project, The Sacred Shakers. The
combination kept the audience interested, and, combine with her charm, Jewell
won an uproar of applause. 

The Eilen Jewell with Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles
show was a refreshing showcase of musicians who truly love what they do and
work hard for it. I can’t wait until
they come back!