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 My time will be worthwhile.I bought this cd because it came up in my Amazon.com recommendations. I am a fan of Ani DiFranco, and I think that these two artists must exist in a "recommend each other" loop for Amazon.com. I listened to the clips available online, and thought her voice was quite enjoyable. I'm sorry, though...I suppose these lyrics are supposed to be whimsical, or eclectic or lightly-biting commentary. I call them insipid. Irritating. Downright obnoxious at times. I mean, c'mon...'Now when the Christians sit with the pagans, the only thing burning is pumpkin pie??' (Don't write to me and tell me I got the lyrics wrong, I couldn't bear to listen to it again to get them just right.) Honestly, I am not usually this cranky about music. But, this one really got to me. Obviously. So, if you are hesitating...I suggest you borrow a friend's copy before you invest in the cd and shipping.
'As Cool As I Am' has got to be one of the greatest songs ever written - who knew that a strident yet entertaining feminst anthem could have such an enticing beat? I used to fantasize about appointing myself Dar's publicist and getting that song onto mainstream radio so that other people could her how wonderful it was - of course, I was too busy listening to her music to do much of anything else. The amusing 'The Christians and the Pagans' and '...Crisi of a Coed' are balanced out by the powerful 'The Ocean' and haunting 'February' and the rocking yet touching 'Iowa.' And these are simply jewels among other gems - the other songs each share the terrific music and unique lyrics, but they cover a wide range of styles and subjects. Dar's only misstep - and I feel almost blasphemous even hinting at that - is 'This is Pompeii,' which always seemed jarring to me, not fitting in with the rest of the songs. But even one less than perfect song cannot in anyway affect the beauty and power of this CD. For those who have never heard of Dar, this is the best album to start with even though it's her second. It's hard to resist Dar after hearing her humor, her sensitivity, her insight and her music. For those who know Dar but don't yet have Mortal City, this one is highly recommended. But in reality, everyone who does not yet have this album should definitely buy it - it's simply too wonderful to miss out on!
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I've always loved Dar Williams, and this is one of her very best albums- hands down. As a severe insomniac, I have the hardest time getting to sleep, but if I pop this CD in, Dar's amazingly full and emotional voice can send me off to Dreamland within the first few tracks. Songs like "February" and "Family" have come to represent the delicate and precious relationships of my friends and me in a way no other music has. Then she gives us our war-cry in "As Cool As I Am," where we find ourselves crying out, "I will not be afraid of women," the same way we shouted, "We are far too young and clever." And she is definitely folk music's finest marriage to the new generation. This is a fine blend of haunting melody, invigorating accompaniment, classic lyric, and a wonderful voice, and if five stars is the max, she gets six for this one.
So there I was at an indigo girls concert in Amherst, Mass., when Amy and Emily drag this little waif onstage, shove a guitar in her hands, and start imploring her to play. I'm thinking to myself, "Who the heck is this?" Then it started. What came out was "February," the second track of this CD. "Boy, this sure is pretty," I thought to myself as the tune wafted over the auditorium. I made a note to myself - "Her name is Dar Williamson or something." About a month later. I couldn'tquite remember what "February" sounded like, but I couldn't quite get the remnants of the song out of my skull. I finally tracked down a copy of "Mortal City" in the Boston Tower and sat down to cleanse myself. Whoopsie. Didn't happen. That was about a year and half ago. To this date, as it has been since I got it, "Mortal City" has been in my "heavy circulation" pile of CDs. The thing grows on you like a fungus. ("fungus" like a truffle, y'know, something nice that we all like, right?) The repetitive listening of this album has been an evolution of sorts for myself. I started out with "February," then moved on the bouncy in-your-faceness of "As Cool As I Am," which of course led into a brief obsession with "The Christians and The Pagans." For a while, I didn't move past Track 4 ("The Christians et al"), but then started meandering towards "Family," which was just too sweet for words. "Coed" made me laugh out loud once I sat down and listened to the lyrics, and "The Ocean" was just too easy to try to sing along to. I think the crowning acheivement on this particular recording, though, is "Iowa." Haunting and evocative, although not in the traditional contemporary sense - the song is possessed with a quiet strength that lingers long after the last chord is strummed. The sparse arrangement (Dar's voice, male underlying octave during the chorous, single strummed guitar, slide guitar during the vocal-less interludes) produces a solitary feel without sacrificing warmth, and the lyrics conjure the desperate need to burst forth while taming themselves at the same time. The lonely desparation of this song will, once its hooks have touched your flesh, follow you around for days on end. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.
