Sabra & the Get Rights, “Sabra & the Get Rights” (Valcour Records)

reviews-sabraandthegetrightsLafayette’s Sabra & the Get Rights never intended to be a band, but after having such a blast at a one-off gig, sojourning on seemed like the get right thing to do. Though the group’s eponymous debut is a mere four tracks, it’s still quite the kicker and will likely have listeners clamoring for more. Sabra’s sassy original “Forever More” opens the proceedings and features electric guitarist Joel Savoy trading twangy licks with fiddler David Greely’s lickety-split bowing. Each track spotlights a different aspect of Sabra’s vocal versatility and the Get Rights’ instrumental chemistry, such as the sleek, spot-on “Fist City” intro. While the emphasis may be on honky-tonk, the rendition of Sam Cooke’s “I’ll Come Running Back to You” is its most surprising cover and reveals how the Get Rights are not about to be genre-constrained. The song’s sauntering tempo allows Sabra to stretch out over a dreamy arrangement resulting in her best vocal performance of the disc. Rockabilly queen Wanda Jackson’s “Funnel of Love” hints that the band could have ventured into psychedelia, if so desired. The seeds have been sown, germinated and blossomed. Hopefully time will tell if they were perennials.