Seven Angels on a Bicycle

Carrie Rodriguez | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 15, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Back Porch
• ASIN: B000GPI1AA
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #59,891 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Although this is officially singer/fiddler Carrie Rodriguez's solo debut, her musical mentor Chip Taylor--with whom she has recorded three previous discs of duets--is an integral ingredient. Taylor wrote or co-wrote all but one track and is also the album's producer. With Seven Angels on a Bicycle, the partnership that worked so well on Red Dog Tracks, The Trouble With Humans, and Let's Leave This Town has yielded another winner. The songs shift between folk, country, and even jazz, the latter aided by the amazing Bill Frisell, whose delicate, restrained textures and effects create an introspective mood as much as Rodriguez's lovely, sensitive voice. Much of this atmospheric release floats by with barely-there percussion, haunting tunes, and a languid yet exquisite sense of subtlety rare in contemporary music. Rodriguez goes into hoedown mode only once--on the frisky "Never Going to Be Your Bride"--but her fiddle colors these songs in muted shades that perfectly enhance their emotional concerns. She's a stirring singer--somewhat like Suzanne Vega--whose vocal innocence in tracks like "This Kiss" provides a perfect counterpoint for lyrics predominantly concerned with lost love and lovers. This is a stark, beautiful set of pensive songs that results in a low-key jewel of an album made for listening, not dancing. The talented Rodriguez needs no further proof that she is very much ready for prime time. --Hal Horowitz

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gifted young singer strikes out on her own, sort of, August 17, 2006

By 

klavierspiel "klavierspiel" (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Seven Angels on a Bicycle (Audio CD)

Although this latest album finds Carrie Rodriguez of Chip Taylor/Carrie Rodriguez fame flying solo, Taylor's fingerprints are easy to find: eleven out of the twelve songs are either written or co-written by him (Rodriguez shares writing credit on four), the album is co-produced by the duo, and Taylor plays acoustic guitar, one of a very fine set of assisting artists.

Nevertheless "Seven Angels on a Bicycle" seems a determined and mostly successful effort to broaden Rodriguez's range from the basically country/folk sound of her duet albums with Taylor--the instrumental colors are much more varied, with world-music, techno-pop and jazz flavors evident. In this "Angels" brings Emmylou Harris' recent work to mind, and just as with Harris, the album occasionally skirts the edge of overproduction. What keeps it from going over is, first, the quality of the material--Taylor's songs in particular are edgy and interesting, a certain hard self-awareness keeping even the most torchy ballads from slipping into corn (not printing his frequently intricate lyrics is an annoying drawback of the otherwise glamorous production). Second, Rodriguez' voice is strong enough to keep from getting buried in the background. In some of the slow numbers, "He Ain't Jesus" and "Big Kiss" in particular, she lets loose with full-throated sounds that some more mainstream pop queens would be proud to possess. All is not lost for fans of earlier albums, though; "Never Gonna Be Your Bride" and "I Don't Want to Play House Anymore" mine familiar funky-country territory with entertaining results. All in all, "Seven Angels on a Bicycle" will not disappoint fans of this very talented young artist.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Future Star, December 10, 2006

By 

J. Delapena "Music Freak" (Paradise USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Seven Angels on a Bicycle (Audio CD)

I'm new to Carrie Rodriguez, never have listened to her colaborations with Chip Taylor. I read a review somewhere on this release and took a chance.....very glad I did. I just can't get this one out of my CD player. For someone who hasn't been the lead singer very long, she nails it!! Clear distinct voice. Love the music, not your ordinary country sound at all. Can't wait for more from Carrie...alone.

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Texas Fiddler Expands Her Horizons, October 12, 2006

By 

Smallchief - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Seven Angels on a Bicycle (Audio CD)

Carrie Rodriguez is well known to me because of three excellent CD's she made with her collaborator and mentor, Chip Taylor, songwriter, professional gambler, and uncle of Angelina Jolie. The style of the two was mostly down-home folk and country. Carrie's Texas fiddle and twangy voice fit the music.

This CD is a stretch for Carrie. Most of the songs are more cosmic than country -- with a bit of India, jazz, and techno-pop. I like the songs best where her twang comes through most strongly with a background of guitar and banjo that could have been arranged by Ravi Shankar. (My wife, however, doesn't like this CD -- although she much enjoys the Taylor/Rodriguez collaborations.) Down home pickin' and Carrie's bluegrass fiddle really come to the fore only on "Never Gonna be Your Bride" and "I Don't Want to Play House Anymore" which may be the best song on the CD.

If you're a country fan you might test drive your taste for this by previewing "Seven Angels on a Bicycle" which is typical of the album as a whole. I like most of the tracks -- although some are a bit draggy and an additional uptempo number or two might have made the CD even stronger. On first listen, I like this CD, and Carrie's new direction. I'll see how it ages.

Smallchief