Customer Reviews

Forgiven Now

5 star:		(4)
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What a talented group this is! Beautiful vocals, harmonies, duets, melodies, great instrumentation-they have it all. Most of the songs are written with broad strokes-you can fill in the details yourself. As someone who is deeply interested in lyrical content, I enjoy and appreciate this approach. The production is superb, the band really plays well, and you can tell this group has worked long and hard with each other. The songs are mostly about the joy of music, dysfunctional families (but I'm not quite sure who's at fault), love gone wrong, love gone right, and leaving that anger behind. There's a slight hint of country on a few of the songs, and it adds a nice texture to the sound. My favorite song is the hauntingly beautiful "The Lotus Hour" with Diane Christiansen doing the vocals and some subtle slide guitar played by Al Perkins. Another favorite is "There's A Magic" which is a song about love for the long haul, and is the only "real" country song on the disc. The rest of the cd is really great, and on any given day I have a new favorite, which is really the hallmark of a great record. Highly Recommended!

Chicago's Dolly Varden has released another masterpiece of gloriously hooky pop flavored with a generous dash of country. Forgiven Now is a high-water mark for this band and its leaders, Steve Dawson and Diane Christensen. Their thoughtful lyrics, gorgeous melodies, excellent musicianship and wonderful singing add up to just the kind of music the major labels believe consumers aren't interested in. This is one of the best albums you're likely to hear this year, and is well worth searching for on the Internet. (Eric Fidler, AP)

Dolly Varden is a gem of a band. On Forgiven Now, their fourth record, the Chicago quintet continues to refine their appealing blend of pop and country. Husband and wife Steve Dawson and Diane Christiansen exude warmth and good taste.

It doesn't hurt that Dawson and Christiansen's voices sound great together. But What works best about the band is the songwriting. Most songs are penned by Dawson, who shares Joe Henry and Freedy Johnston's gift to tell a great story in part by leaving a bit unsaid between the lines.

At his best, as on "Overwhelming", Dawson reels you right in with carefully selected, perfectly delivered words: "so jesus came without warning / right over your bed and hovered like a flower/In the coldest hour of the morning/wiping your lips clean, dusting off your good dreams". On many of Dawson's songs, the nuances are right (including the greasy slide guitar from Mark Balletto on "Overwhelming"), and the truths run deep.

Christiansen's songwriting is more prominent and accomplished here than on prior releases - and that means more of her winning voice, which sounds like 1 a.m. and a bottle of high-end cognac. Her songs ("Wish I Were Here" and "Time For Me To Leave" the standouts here) have an immediate quality that complements Dawson's more studious style. Christiansen and Dawson seem to especially enjoy themselves when they perform a true duet, as on "There's a magic here" (inspired by classic George Jones / Tammy Wynette hits).

Producer, Brad Jones, has again captured the gorgeous textures of Dolly Varden. Much like Lucinda Williams' Essence, this record rewards any extra effort the listener puts in to explore its intelligence and beauty. - Jim Desmond

I love this record from start to finish. Wonderful songs and beautiful harmoines. Steve Dawson and Diane Christiansen sing together in such an amazing way. Do yourself a favor and check them out.