New Laurie!

[donley@blake.acs.washington.edu (Erik Olson)]

I just spent yet another fifteen bucks of my hard-earned money when I saw
_Strange Angels_ at Tower.  It's been over four years since she's put out
an album, hasn't it?  At first listen, this is a much more mellow album
than any of her previous albums, and the production quality is definitely
contributing to make this her most etherial-sounding album.  One problem
I had with this is that the music and odd intruments often overpower her
singing so you can't hear the lyrics (they get buried under the music).
Her voice has definitely changed from the shrill sound we are used to,
deepening into sounding sweet at times.  Her usual compliment of strange
musicicians continues with such people as Tony Levin, Bobby McFerrin, and
the trio of women, the Roches, adding background vocals at one point.
Lyrically, this is her most female album so far; in fact, one song is devoted
exclusively to that topic.

  OK guys, change some of the names, and this review could look just like
all the others about a certain other album that just came out, eh?  It's
all TRUE too!
  - Eo