Customer Reviews

Painted Door

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is why I love Amazon - you can find a new artist, listen to a few samples, and fall in love. That's what happened with me. I was hooked with "Mi Caballo" but I listened to them all and love everyone. Kind of folky Tori Amos with hints of Joan Baez. This is a really nice CD, you should really try a few samples.

Erin Corday is a rare artist who matches the quality of her lyrics with the drive of her music. She creates a world that is enchanting, humorous, and at times more real than this one. Corday's music is at once personal and political, powerful and fragile, fierce and tender... she treats the guitar at times like a drum, at other times like a koto. Once you hear it, you will be hooked forever.

Painted Door is a collection of American and Latin songs and rhythms, humorous banter and a capella magic. It opens with the beautiful Chilean folksong "Mi Caballo," also including a tender version of the Mexican standard "La Bamba" and "El Tigre," an original song in Portuguese. Corday's amazing vocal percussion shines on "Didjago" (skipping stones) and her signature piece, "Land of Sweetness." Playing flamenco and acoustic guitars and the 8-string jarana from Mexico.

No worn trails here - Painted Door is another brilliant effort from one of the most persistently creative artists around.

I took a chance on this one and I'm glad I did. Corday has a wonderfully textured voice and the songs are almost all superbly rendered. "Who Says" stands out for me along with "Didjago". If I had to describe it I would say something like urban folk/rock. I see another reviewer compared her to Tori Amos, I'd aim more toward the early Jewel/Dar Williams range if I was to try and pick comparable artist. All I can say it that this is a really sharp CD and it's well worth your time.

I'd never heard of her but the samples sounded okay so I bought it. It's a pretty good cd. I won't say I loved every song but about half are really good and the rest are decent. I would reccomend it to anyone looking to add something fresh to their collection.

This is a sparse live recording of one of the most delightful performances I've missed. Erin and her "band" (a touring partner named Joel) put on an excellent show armed with their voices, a couple of guitars, and a barely-touched drum kit. Erin made me laugh at her amazing sound-effect antics (she is, alternately, a cicada, a synthesizer, a trumpet, and other unrecognizable objects) that never overpower but only enhance her songs. From the sorrowfully passionate "El Tigre" to the hilariously quirky "Pi" to the sheer bluesy playfulness of "Long Hair" to the contemplative groove of her Portuguese cover of Sting's "How Fragile We Are," every song is a jewel in a unique way.

It is hard to pick a favorite track, but the final "Wicked Road" is a magically evocative song that never fails to transport me to a hard-packed dirt highway shoulder on a warm summer evening. It is also perhaps the best showing of the beautifully flexible, richly thrumming quality of which Erin's voice is capable.

The only drawback to the album is a common one for live recordings - the sound levels are unpredictable, so it's much better to listen in a quiet living room than, say, in the car.

Corday is a walk on a foggy night; she's a Mexican fiesta; she's a broken and angry heart. And, thankfully, she's like nothing you'll encounter on pop radio. Buy the CD. You'll enjoy music that can be fun, sensual, and complex.