Eleni Mandell - Midnight Hauler

Noistrade outdid itself a few weeks ago when it introduced me to Eleni Mandell, and her Babies, Boys & Bumpers.  Her music is effortless jazz-pop-country that kind of reminds me of a female Tom Waits, but less grit, more easy-going beauty.  I'm a big fan already, needless to say.  The LA native will hopefully be as big and well-known as I'd like her to be soon, but in the meantime, I'll enjoy the likes of "Midnight Hauler."  It harbors a country twang while not being a country song, mixed with lovely and slow acoustic work and deep vocal work that I can't complain one bit about.  "Midnight Hauler" really creates the atmosphere of driving down a desert road at sundown, a man behind the wheel of a truck going home to the one her loves.  That's the thing about Eleni Mandell's music: it all has a story to it, and creates an image that's hard to shake.  Nothing else to say about this one, folks.