A Girl Called Eddy / mp3

A Girl Called Eddy first came to my attention in 2001 in the bargain bin at Used Kids in Columbus, OH (one of the best CD/vinyl stores in all of the midwest). Wedged in with the likes of Eurasure and EMF, this sad little cardboard-covered EP with slightly frayed edges depicted a woman in plaid pants and a leopard skin coat staring out at the cold sea. The plaid/leopard skin combo made me put the record back in the bin, but I kept coming back until I thought, “What the heck.” The rest is history.

A Girl Called Eddy, né Erin Moran, sings like a woman, not a girl. There are plenty of pop princesses out there who try to sing sad, sultry songs fueled by tawdry teenage break-ups and the one time they drank too much peppermint Schnapps. But A Girl Called Eddy is experienced. Not Mae West or Debbie Harry experienced, but Karen Carpenter with a little wine and spunk in her.

There is an overarching melancholy to her songs with an occasional glimpse of 1960’s Beatles inspired pop and 1970’s Bacharach lounge. But most of all, her albums have the sweetest melodies, even when the songs are sad. Her music has won her fans that include Robert Smith, Rufus Wainwright, Jarvis Cocker, and Burt Bacharach.

In hindsight, the story behind buying her CD is apropo. The discarded, uncared for CD, lost in a sea of sad sack albums is sold for a paltry $3. Music like A Girl Called Eddy’s can only come from an album like that.

Recommended Tracks:

• Heartache
• Golden
• The Long Goodbye
• Under the Warm Sun

What better way to celebrate the Fourth of July weekend than with a moody album by an expatriate from Jersey. Happy 4th, y’all!