The only sugar you will find on Miss Quincy’s latest effort Your Mama Don’t Like Me is the kind that ferments malted barley into whisky. In fact, whisky is referenced numerous times on the album and it probably provided the majority of the heat for her makeshift recording studio set in a rustic cabin amongst the rugged mountains of northern British Columbia. Surviving winters in the wild is a testament on its own. Recording an album that brings all the warmth and character of an old time saloon while maintaining good mental health during -40 degree weather in a cabin that lacks indoor plumbing is no doubt a demonstration of resilience and an example of an undeniable spirit; qualities that form the foundation of the album.

As the title of the record and lead track may indicate, Miss Quincy is not necessarily the type of women you want to bring home to meet mama. Firstly, she speaks her mind and what she has to say is usually brutally honest. ‘Your mama, she don’t like me / cause I stay up late and get so drunk / that I can barely see’. These are Miss Quincy’s opening sentiments sung with a powerful, sharp, radiating voice amidst country-folk accompaniment that boasts a great variety of instruments. Beautifully crafted and perfectly arranged, this is a bold opener that really sets the tone for the album. Miss Quincy’s no-nonsense-tell-it-like-it-is demeanour becomes even more apparent with the opening lines of the following track ‘Nobody With You’; “You don’t take nobody with you when you die”, shattering any doubts you may have had of the afterlife. The spirit of Miss Quincy’s honest song writing is prevalent throughout the album. At times she is introspective, on other occasions, she offers a unique brand of boozy-parlour social commentary. ‘Sweet Jesus Cafe’ uses a brothel style saloon offering reprieve from the doldrums of life as a metaphor for religious salvation; “25 cents for a miracle pie // clouds parted the sky // won’t you taste my // my hallelujah delight “. The song ends with a chorus of singers and a fantastic fiddle finish making the whole thing sound like something out of a stage act from a barroom variety show.

Even without the lyrics, the album’s musicianship is enough to grab the listener’s attention. Miss Quincy managed to hold a number of accomplished musicians captive in her mountainous log cabin long enough to complete a very gratifying record. Not only does she have an amazing voice and a knack for good song writing, she is a skilled producer generating that classic one room recording warmness combined with tight musical elements which come together seamlessly. The album crosses many folk genres including pure blues harp music in ‘Bad Luck Women’, Mediterranean folk in ‘Reno’s Song’ and traditional blue-grass in ‘Wild Mountain Flower’. Every song has a unique pedigree and the diversity of the album makes it an easy listen even if you don’t subscribe to a particular genre.

You don’t have to try to hard to get to like Miss Quincy even if she is brash, bold and seemingly constantly drinking. Perhaps she is the perfect person to take home to mama; or, at the very least, her latest album exhibiting exceptional roots music certainly is.