Wanda Jackson may be approaching her 75th birthday, but the Queen of Rockabilly shows no signs of slowing down. On her 31st album, Jackson goes back to her roots with the signature mix of rockabilly and country that made her famous in the late 1950s. Unfinished Business features five new tracks and five covers of tracks by artists from Etta James to Woody Guthrie to the Rolling Stones. Produced by established folk musician Justin Townes Earle (son of Steve Earle), this LP sticks to classic country ballads and upbeat R&B tunes. It contains no trace of the raw, sparse blues sound of her previous release, the Jack White-produced The Party Ain’t Over. While the Female Elvis (and his ex-paramour, according to her) may be playing it a little safer on Unfinished Business, the world can always use a few more classic Wanda Jackson tracks.
Wanda Jackson | Unfinished Business, $9.99, amazon.com
By Sarah C. Jones
This review appears in the Oct/Nov 2012 issue of BUST Magazine with cover girl Aubrey Plaza. Subscribe now.
