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’s got a voice that recalls Dolly Parton and a more disco-fried Stevie Nicks, and her stage presence was this ‘I don’t give a shit’ 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’m tired of all the young pop stars singing about life experiences they probably haven’t 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.
This kind of energy is dripping on her debut LP (as the name Goldie Boutilier), Goldie Boutilier Presents… Goldie Montana. The whole album has this shimmery cinematic quality, dabbling between rock n’ roll honky tonk, disco pop, glam rock, and some crazy ABBA meets Giorgio Moroder shit on “Snake Eyes.” Goldie’s voice is part outlaw, part woman who will steal your husband and drink all your champagne as she laughs in your face.
The album bursts out with saloon organ and sexy flair during the country-toned Fleetwood Mac-esque opener “King of Possibilities,” as Goldie sings about taking the night. Sex is definitely “in the breeze” as the song adds layers and layers of funky instrumentation. The bridge brings an outlaw country rock tinge, but it’s Goldie’s voice that keeps me bopping. “Neon Nuptials” 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 ’70s rock vibe (it’s the mellotron or organ) with “Who Are You Gonna Worship Now?” The bendy guitar solo is the candy on top of this sepia-tinted track for me. For me, “I Am The Rich Man,” is like all of the best parts of Lana Del Rey’s Ultraviolence. The titular “Goldie Montana,” 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’m watching a hazy movie while high as a kite in a wind storm.
This is the kind of pop music I’ve been missing from this generation’s 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.
