I had the chance to see Goldie Boutilier live at Edmonton Folk Fest this past summer, having absolutely no idea who she was. She came out in baby blue chaps and expensive-looking shades, looking like some kind of movie star from a long-lost age. She\u2019s got a voice that recalls Dolly Parton and a more disco-fried Stevie Nicks, and her stage presence was this \u2018I don\u2019t give a shit\u2019 attitude. Even though many of us had no idea who she was, she approached each song as if she were the next big thing, bigger than Sabrina Carpenter, Kim Petras, and all the newer hot pop stars. For me, this was so refreshing. I\u2019m tired of all the young pop stars singing about life experiences they probably haven\u2019t even lived. Goldie, who is in her 40s, has had a history as a model, sex worker, drug addict, etc., and she feels real. And she is not to be fucked with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This kind of energy is dripping on her debut LP (as the name Goldie Boutilier), Goldie Boutilier Presents\u2026 Goldie Montana<\/em>. The whole album has this shimmery cinematic quality, dabbling between rock n\u2019 roll honky tonk, disco pop, glam rock, and some crazy ABBA meets Giorgio Moroder shit on \u201cSnake Eyes.\u201d Goldie\u2019s voice is part outlaw, part woman who will steal your husband and drink all your champagne as she laughs in your face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The album bursts out with saloon organ and sexy flair during the country-toned Fleetwood Mac-esque opener \u201cKing of Possibilities,\u201d as Goldie sings about taking the night. Sex is definitely \u201cin the breeze\u201d as the song adds layers and layers of funky instrumentation. The bridge brings an outlaw country rock tinge, but it\u2019s Goldie\u2019s voice that keeps me bopping. \u201cNeon Nuptials\u201d is more of a slow dance rocker, but the chorus explodes with a piercing falsetto that will melt minds and some gorgeous vocal theatrics. Later, we get, a smoky, almost The Doors \u201970s rock vibe (it\u2019s the mellotron or organ) with \u201cWho Are You Gonna Worship Now?\u201d The bendy guitar solo is the candy on top of this sepia-tinted track for me. For me, \u201cI Am The Rich Man,\u201d is like all of the best parts of Lana Del Rey\u2019s\u00a0Ultraviolence<\/em>. The titular \u201cGoldie Montana,\u201d wraps up the album in a nice bow, a kind of grifter runaway bride vibe. Again, Goldie brings this spellbinding subversive quality to each verse, like I\u2019m watching a hazy movie while high as a kite in a wind storm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the kind of pop music I\u2019ve been missing from this generation\u2019s too-quick, insert easy chord progression and lyrics about love here, recycled pop music. It all just sounds the same for me, and while Goldie is going back for a nostalgic pop-rock vibe, she brings all the modern flourishes and absolutely kills it every time. She is currently opening for Katy Perry, and in a better life, it would be the opposite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n