Prolific Massachusetts singer/songwriter Melissa Ferrick changes course from the stripped-down D.I.Y. feel of her last album, the one-woman band feel of The Other Side, with the far more polished, full-band In the Eyes of Strangers. Produced by local indie notable Ethan Allen, best known for his work in various Kristin Hersh's projects, and featuring guest spots from friends like Tegan Quin and Erin McKeown, In the Eyes of Strangers is a crisp, full, but not over-produced album that sounds more radio-ready than anything else Ferrick has ever released. Featuring a typically solid set of songs highlighted by the easygoing shuffle "Everything You Get" and the outstanding, lyrically barbed "Miss Liberty," which features one of Ferrick's finest vocals ever, In the Eyes of Strangers isn't notably different in tone from any of Ferrick's previous albums, but it's somehow more satisfying than most.
© Stewart Mason /TiVo