4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Confessional, folky singer-songwriter, November 3, 2007
This review is from: Nothing Is Free (Audio CD)
No doubt Carolyn Mark is tired of seeing Natalie Merchant's name in her reviews, but their voices are so remarkably similar at times, it's impossible not to take note on first listen. On second spin, as your ear moves from the familiar timbre to its less familiar application in country and folk, there's still a loping waltz-time quality that bridges back to Merchant. Plunging further into the album however, Mark's uniqueness reveals itself. In addition to the sparse arrangements accompanying Mark's often desolate songs, there's an old-timey trill to tracks like "1 Thing" that bear no resemblance to Merchant at all. Mark's sixth solo album is filled with wordy, confessional stories and observations in the folky singer-songwriter vein, but augmented with the knowing details and earthy portraiture of country music. She expounds on intimate, internal subjects like the pleasure of choice, the dilemmas of home, and the dichotomy of mistress versus wife. Her songs are poetic and philosophical, yet sufficiently grounded to tell stories and draw characters - a balancing act few songwriters can manage. [©2007 hyperbolium dot com]
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