2008-02-26
Jim White writes, “'Transnormal Skiperoo' is a name I invented to describe a strange new feeling I’ve been experiencing after years of feeling lost and alone and cursed. Now, when everything around me begins to shine, when I find myself dancing around in my back yard for no particular reason other than it feels good to be alive, when I get this deep sense of gratitude that I don’t need drugs or God or doomed romance to fuel myself through the gauntlet of a normal day, I call that feeling ‘Transnormal Skiperoo.’” Believe it or not, Jim White’s Transnormal Skiperoo is a pleasant, at times upbeat and playful CD. “A Town Called Amen” aptly opens the CD with a calm, capable piece that sets the listener at ease. “Turquoise House” is about being yourself, quirky impulses and all. “Crash into the Sun” is an uptempo song with a chorus that lets loose into “woo-hoos.” “Jailbird,” with a delicate minute-long introduction and quiet vocals, and “Diamonds to Coal” are moody pieces, clearly from the deep South. Devoted Jim White fans will find that “Plywood Superman” may arise from the lost feeling Jim describes above, but on the whole, Transnormal Skiperoo comes from a man confident in himself and his talents. --MLGSHANE BARTELL
Too Soon to Say
Natalie Merchant
The House Carpenter's DaughterThe House Carpenter's Daughter
Byrd & Street
This Much Is True
Waiting For Henry
Town Called Patience
BEN HARPER
Lifeline
NEIL YOUNG
Live at Massey Hall, 1971
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