2009-05-26
Katie Melua, born in Georgia (the country, not the U.S. state), burst on to the UK music scene with a voice and a debut mixture of folk, blues and jazz that called to mind the late Eva Cassidy. Melua's ability to turn any song into a soulful banquet made that release, "Call Off the Search," an English smash (and it is tucked in with most of Eva's catalog in our jazz section of the library). However, like Cassidy, Melua has always been pulled between genres and in this third release (like the one prior), the balance tips away from blues/jazz and toward singer-songwriter territory. "Mary Pickford" and "If the Lights Go Out" are examples of her storytelling side; "Perfect Circle" is a reminder of her jazz inclinations. "Ghost Town" is a reggae-inflected tune that also captures her soulful side and she closes with a smoky version of Leonard Cohen's "In My Secret Life." F-Contemporary 05/09 Michael J.THE PANTONES
Inside the Sun's Wild Flame
Kaki King
Legs to Make Us Longer
Maggi, Pierce & E.J.
The Gold Album
HEIDI TALBOT
The Last Star
Bob Dylan
Together Through Life
DREW NELSON
Dusty Road to Beulah Land
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.