Amy Ray and
Emily Saliers continue to hone their signature lush melodies on their fifth studio effort,
Swamp Ophelia. Reflecting back to their pioneering singer/songwriting days of the late '80s and early '90s, this album is confident in the face of the male-dominated music industry and the
Indigo Girls are no longer afraid to hit upon past relationships and personal emotion.
Saliers and
Ray's incredible harmonies are most stylish and songs such as "Language of the Kiss" and "Touch Me Fall" are illustriously romantic and serene. "Least Complicated" is vocally enchanting, layering bongos and percussion to make this cut an album standout. Their choir-like unison allows their vocal power to carry them through the entire record, but accompanying musicians, such as
Lisa Germano (mandolin, violin), Canadian songstress
Jane Siberry, and cellist
Jane Scarpantoni, also make
Swamp Ophelia more pleasurable. But the duo also move beyond the sweet and tender by dipping into darker realms, especially on "Dead Man's Hill." Their earthy voices creep along the haunting tom-toms to provoke another musical side. This album is another humanistic effort from
the Indigo Girls' deep and indwelling passions and ideas. This release molds the beauty of what's yet to come. ~ MacKenzie Wilson