Album Review: Sara Petite 'Road Less Traveled'

Four-time winner of San Diego’s Best Country/Americana Band, Sara Petite returns with her latest, Road Less Traveled, on May 19th. The journey begins with the jaunty banjo and horn-laden title track on which the raspy voiced singer proclaims herself a free spirit even though she may have a love, “Where I’m bound heaven only knows” and leads into “It Was Just A Kiss” a classic country ballad about how a kiss frequently leads to something more. Themes of love and heartache flow throughout the record particularly on “Blackbird” a dark shuffler about desire, “Do you know what I know/That following your heart can lead you down a desperate road”, the Tex-Mex accented “Getting Over You” and “You Don’t Care At All” which captures real truth as to why leaving sometimes is better than staying. In addition to her way with a phrase, Road Less Traveled displays Petite’s ability to shift between musical styles with ease. There’s the irresistible and uplifting “Patchwork Quilt”, the truthfully somber “Sweet Pea Blues” where she notes, “Trying to smile in the pouring rain is like try to whistle in hurricane,” the rockabilly groove of “Monkey On My Back” and the sweetly sexy “Sweet Pea Patch.” Petite closes out with the bluesy anthem “I Will Rise” and a reprise of “Road Less Traveled” reminding us that the road her wandering heart loves stretches far ahead - just the way she likes it.

---