2004-06-14
Stepping out from her folk trio, The Be Good Tanyas, singer-songwriter Jolie Holland has crafted a 12 cut disc that digs deep into her dark moments. The jazzy feel of "Old Fashioned Morphine" could come off a Leon Redbone disc but the lyrics are much darker than his standard fare. The same can be said for "Good Bye California" which is an unflinching look at personal despair that takes you to the brink of ending it all.
Lighter fare includes the strong willed survivalist of "Poor Girl Blues" and "Amen" which waxes eloquent about a new found love. While nothing here will ignite a party, Holland gives you plenty to think about.
Smitty
Lyal Strickland
Balanced on Barbed Wire
AMOS LEE
As the Crow Flies
Yael Naim and David Donatien
Yael Naim
Billy Brandt
The Mission
SONNY SMITH
Fruitvale
RAY WYLIE HUBBARD
A. ENLIGHTENMENT, B. ENDARKENMENT (HINT: THERE IS NO C)
The opinions expressed in these reviews are those of the individual volunteers that submitted the article and do not necessarily reflect the views of WYCE or GRCMC; nor its staff, donors, or affiliates.