Customer Reviews

Where We Live

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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...This is an artist whose writing is unusually excellent and should be way better known than she is...though in today's veritable glut of overwhelmingly mediocre singer/songwriters who record their own CDs in their basements, it is difficult for the cream to struggle its way to the top anymore. Anyway, if you're a fan of excellent acoustic/grassy/country production (think Chapin meets Nanci) and insightful, unusual writing, than Tanya's CDs are for you.
I first saw her performing at The Bluebird Cafe years ago when I was at a conference in Nashville and bought her first CD and have followed her music since.
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Remember this folk/songwriter who sang her way into our hearts with two previous albums "Better Shade of Green" and "Town to Town", the later being the better of the two...now this Tanya Savory, with shades of Nanci Griffith, Iris Dement and Mary Chapin Carpenter sends us once again into the genre of contemporary folk. Her style of writing continues to lock in the confessions and concerns of the lives in rural America. The arrangements are clean and crisp, so compelling is her voice as the mood swings from bluegrass, country to folk and pop. Can't say enough about the positive vibes you feel when experiencing this latest release, thank goodness Rounder let her take the bit and run with it.

Savory is a solid talent, not much gets by her, just listen to the lyrics of "LOSING ME", taps into her inner romantic side and then mentions ending it by a railroad track. But the title track "WHERE WE LIVE", takes us on a "mountain music" tour as we continue to enjoy the tradition of early bluegrass. Tanya is in full command, as every track is over the top, which is extremely rare for any album...this is certainly a musical highlight in keeping with the standards of "O, Brother Where Art Thou" craze, highly recommend this to one and all!

Total Time: 40:13 on 11 Tracks ~ Rounder 11671-1232-2 ~ (2002)

This is an understated pleasure. There are too many overproduced country albums where you can't hear the song. Savory writes good songs - in fact some great ones - with honest lyrics. It's home cookin', a little old fashioned and nothing too fancy. While Savory's voice isn't all that strong there are shades of Chapin Carpenter and Nanci Griffith (as has already been said) but the accompaniment is light, acoustic, tasteful with guitar, fiddle, dobro, mandolin, piano (and nice tin whistle on track 1). The songs are catchy with good choruses and a variety of moods and gentle rhythms. Standout songs are This Old Tree, Losing Me, Carolina and The Road Was New but there are no duds. I'm surprised some of the "bigger" artists haven't picked some of these up - Trisha Yearwood could do justice to a few - but Tanya's originals will do me fine. Regularly played and recommended.