2008-01-13
Carrie’s 11th record for Rounder continues her attempt to do be a musical “polite firebrand,” which seems to mean you can make an important point without tearing someone’s head off. Her songs are always about making larger sense of the ordinary things in life. She says,” It’s about navigating that shadow and light in our lives, and all those gray spaces in between. There aren’t any easy answers – but there’s a lot of good questions.” She’s often influenced heavily by the recent books she’s been reading, and that’s true of this set as well. This time around, it is Quaker philosopher/writer Parker Palmer and novelist Scott Russell Sanders. While the songs attempt something more than surface issues, they don’t “feel heavy” and there are great wordplays (“Geodes”), vividly drawn characters (“Where You Been”) and humor (“Don’t Push Send”). It is good to know Carrie’s out there, paying close attention to life and reporting in once and a while. 01/08 MJVD F-ContemporaryMARK OLSON
The Salvation Blues
K. Jones & The Benzie Playboys
Oh Yeah!
JOE SWANK & THE ZEN PIRATES
HANK WILLIAMS DIED FOR MY SINS
Black Jake and the Carnies
Sundry Mayhems
BETH NIELSEN CHAPMAN
Back to Love
Strays Don't Sleep
Strays Don't Sleep
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