Holly Golightly& Dan Melchior

Since guitarist Dan Melchior has appeared on most of her recordings, the casual observer could certainly be forgiven for thinking that Desperate Little Town is a Holly Golightly solo effort in all but name -- except it isn't. Melchior wrote most of the originals (four songs are covers) and shares most of the vocals. Further, the music has more of a folk-blues bent than Golightly's solo material, which also incorporates pop, soul, and R&B elements. Considering how long she's been collaborating with members of the Milkshakes and Thee Headcoats, it should come as little surprise that Melchior's singing sounds a little like that of Billy Childish. Desperate Little Town makes a nice companion piece to the album, In Blood, she recorded with Childish himself in 1999. As on many Golightly releases, Bruce Brand, another architect of the "Medway sound," handles percussion duties.