Shimmer

Pieta Brown | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 10, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Red House
• ASIN: B002QF31Y4
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #92,816 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Iris DeMent

"the best poet I've heard in a long damn time"

Product Description

If you don't think of great songwriters when you think of Iowa, now you will. Pieta Brown emerges as a "self-styled poetess, folk goddess and country waif" (BBC) with the release of her powerful Red House Records debut, Shimmer. The story of the album is a case of fortuitous serendipity. The result is a 7-song EP whose stripped down nature lets Pieta's lilting drawl deliver her lyrics with its full magnitude and depth.

One day while driving through L.A. and listening to the radio, the legendary producer Don Was heard Pieta performing live and solo in-studio. Struck by the uniqueness of her voice, her delivery, and the substance of her songs, he pulled his car over to listen and make note of this fresh new artist. Later, he mentioned her name in an interview as an artist he was intrigued with, and the rest is history.

In late March of 2009, Pieta was touring in California and connected with Don for two afternoons to show him some of her new songs. Don's vision was to record Pieta as he heard her that day on the radio, with her songs and voice, "unadorned" and full center. Recorded live and mixed as it went down, Shimmer is the enchanting result. Featuring 7 original songs, the CD has an intimate feel--as if Pieta was right there in the room, singing her songs just for you. From the lilting country tune "Lovin' You Still" to the haunting "You're My Lover Now," she delivers truly poetic story songs backed by Bo Ramsey (electric guitar, harmony vocals) and Don Was (string bass). Shimmer confirms that Pieta Brown is a songwriter to be reckoned with and a talent too good to ignore.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Finely written comtemporary folk songs - what a Talent!, February 28, 2010

By 

A. Boyd "GoodTunesHubdotcom" (Boston MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shimmer (Audio CD)

Shimmer is barely an album at 7 songs (23 minutes), but song-for-song it is a dense, robust collection of well-written music. Brown is the 37-year old daughter of singer songwriter Greg Brown. With two albums behind her, the songs on Shimmer are spare - her voice is sultry, sleepy and stripped down, almost ethereal. The style and feel of "Hey Joey" among others smacks of Dad's style (a huge compliment). Big Hoopla producer Don Was produced this CD - in all honesty, I could have produced it - push "record" and get out of the way.

GENRES: Contemporary Folk.

BUY IF YOU LIKE: Patty Griffith, Mindy Smith, Rickie Lee Jones.

MUST HEAR TRACKS: "I Know a Girl," "Hey Joey," "Diamonds in the Sky," "You're My Lover Now."

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mostly Mesmerizing, November 22, 2009

By 

Timothy P. Young (Rawlins, WY, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Shimmer (Audio CD)

Pieta Brown gets unplugged on her new EP, "Shimmer." This collection of 7 songs, running 22 minutes total, is a fine showcase for Brown's breathy voice (think Margo Timmins meets Rickie Lee Jones) and her strong (if still developing) songwriting skills.

"Shimmer" is a quiet, mesmerizing experience. Without the trappings of full-on band production, her songs and voice come to the fore. "I Know A Girl" has a sweet sound, "Hey Joey" is kind of catchy, and "Diamonds in the Sky" is just fantastic. This EP definitely explores her folk/country side while choosing to ignore the occasional jazzy arrangements of her last full album, Remember the Sun. This is both good and bad. On the one hand, it focuses the sound into a more coherent experience. On the other, it lacks a little in variety and never showcases her full vocal talents.

Overall, this is a fine reminder of how skilled Pieta Brown is, and will please those who are fans already, while hopefully bringing some new listeners into the fold.