INA FORSMAN
BEEN MEANING TO TELL YOU
RUF RECORDS 1262
BE MY HOME–GET MINE–ALL GOOD–GENIUS–WHATCHA GONNA DO–WHY YOU GOTTA BE THAT WAY–MISS MISTREATED–FIGURE–WHO HURT YOU–EVERY SINGLE BEAT–CHAINS–SUNNY
Ina Forsman burst onto the worldwide blues scene in 2016, as one of Thomas Ruf’s hottest talents, solidifying that rep during the 2016 Blues Caravan tour. She had a load of new songs on her phone during that time, but, as Fate would have it, she lost her phone and, sadly, everything in it. But, she dusted herself off and spent two years bringing forth a new set of songs that have become the twelve cuts of “Been Meaning To Tell You.”
Leading off is a swirling, piano-driven ballad done for “the ones that I love,” entitled, “Be My Home.” She revels in the pure joy of being young and a singer in the wah-wah-infused quasi-rap of “Get Mine,” while she gets downright soulful in an ode to being grateful for her many blessings, “All Good.” She takes a clever look at sexual harassment with two cuts that address the situation from the viewpoint of each respective sex. “Whatcha Gonna Do, honey, can’t let her get away,” looks at wrong decisions made from the guy’s point of view. Then, the guy who just won’t leave our girl alone is the subject of “Why You Gotta Be That Way,” and looks at the problem from the female perspective. She closes the set powerfully, giving her voice free rein in a cool a capella love song, “Sunny.”
Perhaps the set’s bluesiest cut served as our favorite. Soulful, searing guitar from Blues Award nominee Laura Chavez and keys from Red Young play out over our heroine’s tale of being used by those whom she thought she could trust, “Miss Mistreated.”
Ina Forsman seems to have picked up right where she left off in 2016. That promise of stardom has now been fulfilled by “Been Meaning To Tell You.” Perhaps losing her phone wasn’t so bad after all….Until next time…Sheryl and Don Crow, The Nashville Blues And Roots Alliance.
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