Still in her late twenties, JOLIE HOLLAND has a ghostly voice that channels a one-hundred-year-old soul. On ESCONDIDA (ANTI), her proper studio debut, the Houston-area native who co-founded the Be Good Tanyas (she quit) winds her pitch-bending timbre through sparse and odd instrumentation. The album haunts a bygone era of American pop yet defies convention, and Holland's artful ruminations ("I saw you tonight/By the light/Of the shining black stars/That circle my heart") spill forth like narratives, making little distinction between verse and chorus.
Austin's GRUPO FANTASMA is a traditional Latin band in one sense; they sing exclusively in Spanish and derive their music from cumbia and salsa rhythms. But they're also a new generation of players. By upping the energy, subtly blending modern touches, and stripping away some of the music's more cheesy traditions, they've found a wildly appreciative new audience. Major labels have taken notice, but the twelve-member band has once again gone it alone with MOVIMIENTO POPULAR (Aire Sol), and everything—the arrangements, performances, even the recordings—has taken a quantum leap from its debut. The way these tracks virtually leap off the CD, it's not hard to understand why Grupo has continued their DIY approach. Reviewed by John Morthland
Despite powerhouse vocal workouts like "Rain," PATTY GRIFFIN 's last studio effort, 1000 Kisses, felt like a retreat to a safer place. This was not expected: The Bostonite-turned-Austinite, an uncompromising singer and writer, didn't achieve commercial success by taking baby steps. IMPOSSIBLE DREAM (ATO) finds surer footing artistically if not emotionally. Griffin pours herself into the soul-blues of "Standing" and the kickoff "Love Throws a Line," a love-or-else tune that shines some rays of optimism. Otherwise, the lights stay low. There's a beaten-down resignation to these songs that fans of, say, Springsteen's Nebraska will appreciate. Dream is no Nebraska, but Griffin's work finds a similar pain and poignancy.
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