Joe Breenreviews this week's roots release
JOLIE HOLLAND
The Living and the Dead
****
Anti
Jolie Holland is the kind of woman who might still use oil lamps, such is her love of the distant past. That image makes the gentle thud of soft drums and the relative flashiness of the production so surprising on this latest collection. But fear not: Holland remains a singular voice of bluesy intimacy.
The Living and the Dead, while a departure from the engaging rustic simpliciity of her three earlier albums, shows she is keen to grow while remaining rooted in Americana.
Supported by the likes of fellow maverick songwriter M Ward and guitarist Marc Ribot, Holland creates whispered songscapes full of drama and tenderness that require and reward repeated listening. The co-founder of the Be Good Tanyas is a sensitive soul, as the plaintive Corrido for Buddyshows, though the most compelling track here is one of the few that she didn't write - the dark, traditional Love Henry.
www.jolieholland.com
JOE BREEN
Download tracks: Corrido for Buddy, Mexico City, Love Henry
