Little Mule is Leah Siegel’s new record. We’ve been waiting a long time for this one. News of it being in the bag came out back in February/March and at this point the fans are rabid for it.Little Mule has been worth the wait. This is a fantastic record in every respect. Every song is well-written and seasoned over countless performances by a professional songwriter who takes her craft seriously. Little Mule is the best sounding local record I’ve heard this year. This is a little unfair because she didn’t exactly put it together in her bedroom. A serious of cards lined up in order to produce this record, ending with a Bob Ludwig mastering job. Every instrument has been miked and mixed with the utmost care. Acoustic guitars don’t sound nicer than this unless you’re playing a Jethro Tull record. Little Mule showcases Siegel’s awesome band. Steve Elliot has some great guitar lines. When Siegel is strumming, he’s in the trenches laying it out there and when her wonderful finger picking is on display, he backs off. Tim Luntzel and Brian Wolfe are a fantastic rhythm section and professionals in every sense of the word. Little Mule showcases Leah Siegel’s rock star persona. She’s already done the stripped down record. This record is meant to put her in the alpha-rocker league with Lowry and it succeeds. Leah Siegel’s voice is in top form. If you are reading this and haven’t heard Siegel before, think of her as the lovechild of Billy Holiday and Jeff Buckley and you’re on the right track. Little Mule is a road record. Many of the songs reference the road. The album cover has a Midwestern backdrop of open fields (with tornadoes). The arrangements make the drive from New York to Cleveland incredibly enjoyable. Siegel’s thoughtful use of imagery leaves no room for lyrical clichés and the nicest thing about this CD is that it lifts you out of your apartment and drops you down into these motorcycle dairies. New Yorkers need successful escapism like this. Little Mule will carry Leah Siegel for a while and with any luck break her into the big time. Following it up will be the real test, however. This is an autobiographical record; the most powerful moments come road trips that actually happened and older sisters with PhDs that actually exist. Admittedly, the arachnids will always be there for Siegel. Lou Reed is one of her inspirations, however, and (thankfully) he hasn’t lived through every song he’s written. I think Siegel has what it takes to play with the big leaguers, so I’m not really worried. Leah Siegel has the wrong picture on her website. From a shallow publicist’s perspective, anyway. I actually love the idea of a rock goddess who confuses people with a hazy-ala-Liz-Taylor press photo that makes her look like a jazz piano diva. But hopefully we’ll see some shots of her and the band soon. I mean, they are some cool looking guys! -Ben Krieger, www.jezebelmusic.com