Michaela Rae

Should you wait to sing the blues until your voice has changed? That unlikely question is central to this debut by Michaela Rae Knox, who cut Backbone when she was just thirteen. Her guitar playing is plenty solid, if not exactly innovative — unless you've never heard Stevie Ray Vaughan...

By Michael Roberts

July 16, 2009

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Should you wait to sing the blues until your voice has changed? That unlikely question is central to this debut by Michaela Rae Knox, who cut Backbone when she was just thirteen. Her guitar playing is plenty solid, if not exactly innovative — unless you've never heard Stevie Ray Vaughan. But the novelty value of her instrumental precocity crumbles when she opens her mouth. Covering Buddy Guy's "Mary Had a Little Lamb" must have seemed like a cute idea, but it's way too cute, like a gag from a Disney Channel sitcom. (Instead of Hannah Montana, how about Hannah Mississippi?) Instrumentals like "Sin Nombre" and, naturally, "SRV Shuffle" are far more diverting than "Trust in You," in which she warbles, "Didn't come to sing/Just came to play." Good plan.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

Contact: Michael Roberts

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