Audio CD review:
Laura Cantrell - Humming by the Flowered Vine

Laura Cantrell - Humming by the Flowered Vine

Band: Laura Cantrell Title: Humming by the Flowered Vine Rating: Release Date: 21 June, 2005 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: 14th Street 2: What You Said 3: And Still 4: Khaki And Corduroy 5: Letters 6: California Rose 7: Wishful Thinking 8: Poor Ellen Smith 9: Bees 10: Old Downtown

Editoral Review One listen to her celebrated radio show "Radio Thrift Shop"on WFMU and you will know this instantly, as she mixes old school country and bluegrass with the best contemporary singer-songwriters. Laura Cantrell has exceptional taste. The cover art to this, her third album, is by the superlative artist Fred Tomaselli, and her choice of arcane, literate, and lovely cover songs is exquisite: a previously unreleased Lucinda Williams song ("Letters"), an obscure Appalachian murder ballad originally collected by her great-great aunt ("Poor Ellen Smith"), and a fabulous tune by singer-songwriter Emily Spray ("14th Street"). Of course, if good taste were all it took to be a great artist, we'd all be great artsists, right? Laura's not a crooner per se, but she has become an amazing singer, with delightful control over her voice. In fact, Cantrell sounds a lot like the long-lost, Tennessee-born sister to Linda Thompson, especially on the Dave Schramm-penned "And Still," and her own "Old Downtown. " This is cosmic, American music, sung with subtlety and produced perfectly by JD Foster. –Mike McGonigal. .. You can see a complete list of all Laura Cantrell discography, or go back to the Laura Cantrell tabs