Seattle, WA-based guitarist/singer/songwriter
Laura Veirs garners sympathetic support from guitar hero
Bill Frisell, saxophonist
Amy Denio, bassist Fred Chalenor, and others -- but the star of the show is clearly
Veirs. With this 2003 effort, the artist meshes a nouveau folk/country-rock approach along with intermittent doses of spacy background treatments. Her soft voice provides an underscore for wittily constructed lyricism and slight shifts in direction. It's hard to categorize
Ms. Veirs. Throughout this compelling production, she fuses the sounds of innocence with the slant of an enigmatic rock star. There are some calming moments amid asymmetrical parts: country & western, alt-rock, and
Ms. Veirs' whispery vocals. Moreover, avant-garde violinist
Eyvind Kang generally adheres to the straight and narrow by providing the vocalist with an organic edge. Keyboardist Steve Moore's airy and intentionally cheesy organ passages bridge the sounds of a bygone rock era with the leader's contemporary vibe. She's a cunning storyteller for sure, while kudos are in order for producer
Tucker Martine's perceptive representation of
Ms. Veirs' multifarious talents. ~ Glenn Astarita