Customer Reviews

These Things Wrapped

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

 

 

Smith's music defies labels. Although she performs most of it solo, accompanied on acoustic guitar, it doesn't fit the folk or country or unplugged designations. There are echoes of the Celtic music, a tinge of bluegrass and a faint country twang. Smith's guitar and vocals were done live in the studio with no dubbing or production magic, which gives the songs an sense of immediacy.

The songs are profound, the lyrics alternately scathing and compassionate, and the music is exquisite. Smith's soaring vocals forcefully convey the powerful images expressed in the songs. From the potent social commentary of China Cups and Wednesday's 's Child to the touching Prayers Of Genevieve and Midnight Pirouette to the finely crafted allegory of Boat In A Bottle, the music is nothing less than terrific from beginning to end.

A friend lent me this and I've been playing it quite a lot. It's a real nice CD and well worth your time. A great piece of post-modern folk.

This is one of the best singer/songwriter CDs I've heard in years, much less from someone unknown. I bought this after having it pitched to me, and I have loved it ever since. It takes a strongly imaginative writer to produce a song about love in a nursing home...who would even have thought about it? Leslie Smith writes about abuse, family, and heartbreak, but not so that you are left with a feeling of hopelessness. This is sometimes difficult, but beautifully rendered material. I'm looking forward to more from her.

TRUELY A 1ST RATE SINGER/SONGWRITER COMPARABLE TO THE LIKES OF LUCINDA WILLIAMS, KELLY WILLIS, AND BETTY ELDERS.-------A BEAUTIFUL VOICE WITH TREMENDOUS GUT FEELING EMOTION AND BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED SONGS TO MATCH---------ONE OF THE BEST ALTERNATIVE COUNTRY SINGER-SONGWRITER ALBUMS EVER RELEASED---------NO RECORDINGS SO FAR AFTER THIS ONE

This is one of the few real impressive singer songwriter albums I have heard. Haunting and extraordinarily musical. Just amazing... Hope her next (1999) almost-release is available soon!

Since I initially reveiwed this CD some years ago, the Amazon site for it has become corrupted. The songs listed for this CD have nothing to do with the original. There is apparantly another Leslie Smith, whose work is linked to this artist's CD. As far as I know, this is her only release, and it is not represented here. Amazon has no responsibility to keep a listing of a CD no longer available, but this sort of sloppy work makes me wonder why I have shopped here for so many years. If you want the real thing, These Things Wrapped is the only one, and you can't hear it here.