There is nothing on Jolie Holland’s latest that matches the seductive, demurely jazz-tinged “Mehitabel’s Blues” or “Stubborn Beast” from 2006’s Springtime Can Kill You. But let’s be clear: there is nothing on that record to rival the heady rush of The Living and the Dead, a more straight-up country-rock record, but no less powerful for its leanness. Never a slouch, Holland demonstrates as convincingly as ever her playful yet solid command of Americana past and present as music to be lived in rather than just visited on a lark. From the opening bars of “Mexico City” to the giggle fits of closer “Enjoy Yourself”, The Living and the Dead sparkles and rarely missteps.
As per usual, the prime interest on the album is Holland’s voice, an idiosyncratic, knowing twang that bends vowels and swallows consonants. But somehow her pipes sound more restrained here, without losing any of their unique charm. On the M. Ward-abetted “Your Big Hands”, she’s a twitchier Lucinda Williams. Still capable of melting “told” into “taold” and “bird” into “baiord”, Holland sounds nonetheless comfortable in the song’s conservative arrangement, never swinging too wildly. The atmospheric “Fox in Its Hole” features shimmering Marc Ribot guitars, while a double-tracked lead vocal gently works up a melody reminiscent of “Wayfaring Stranger”, nodding to the past while remaining unmistakably current. Yet again, Holland sings in service of the song, nuanced without being overly precious or showy. And the songs themselves are gorgeous. Popmatters.com
No hay comentarios.:
Publicar un comentario