K. T. Oslin (1942-2020) had a string of big hits in the late 1980s and early '90s, which was kind of surprising for someone who had spent the decade before hanging out with indie-twang artists like Texas tunesmith Guy Clark. Born in Arkansas and raised in Houston, Oslin played a lot of roles as a musician -- folkie, commercial singer, songwriter, and finally, a Top Forty star. Oslin's records were pretty poppy and high tech, although she did have a rugged, bluesy streak that came through as well. Here's a quick look at her work...
K. T. Oslin "Songs From An Aging Sex Bomb: Greatest Hits" (Sony-BMG, 1993)
K. T. Oslin "Super Hits" (RCA, 1997)
K. T. Oslin "RCA Country Legends" (RCA, 2001)
K. T. Oslin " '80s Ladies" (RCA, 1987)
K. T. Oslin "This Woman" (RCA, 1988)
K. T. Oslin "Love In A Small Town" (RCA, 1990)
A synth-laden leftover from '80s-era country production, and an eminently skippable album. Oslin fancies herself a torchy, sexy chanteuse, but the listless rhythm tracks bog these songs down, and the lyrics are pretty belabored and cumbersome. (The songs are mostly written by Oslin herself, although with a couple of odd covers, including a mysteriously listless version of Sylvia & Mickey's "Love Is Strange," a song which originally only existed to be perky and coy.) I'm sure there are Oslin fans out there who dig her stuff... More power to 'em; I just ain't one of them.
K. T. Oslin "My Roots Are Showing" (BNA, 1996)
K. T. Oslin "Live Close, Visit Often" (BNA, 2001)
(Produced by Raul Malo)
