(Ryko)

www.rykodisc.com

And you think you have it bad.  Crows, Allison Moorer's follow-up to her critically acclaimed breakthrough Mockingbird, finds her crying fowl on any number of subjects - broken hearts, leaving lovers and all number of personal ills in general. Maybe being Mrs. Steve Earl is no bed of roses, but with song titles like "Just Another Fool," "The Broken Girl, " Should I Be Concerned, "When You Wake Up Feeling Bad" and "Sorrow (Don't Come Around)," it's clear that it's not her domestic agenda that needs venting. 

Then again, Moorer's never been the type to emit unbounded optimism.  And with good reason. Having witnessed a violent family tragedy (her father shot her mother and subsequently turned the weapon on himself), she also struggled to emerge from the shadow of her sister and the woman who raised her, country singer Shelby Lynne.  Over the course of her eight albums, Moorer's reflected a worrisome perspective, belabored by ongoing remorse and an aching propensity that often keeps her at arm's length from her listeners.  Crows essentially offers more of the same, from the troubled discourse of "Abalone Sky" and the plaintive repose of "Easy in the Summertime" to the acrimonious dismissal of "Sorrow (Don't Come Around)" and the scorching break-up ballad "Still This Side of Gone." 

The mournful sentiments create an air of unrelenting sadness, yet one that still finds beautiful melodies illuminated by a starlit gaze.  Whether or not it meets with the same positive response as Mockingbird remains to be seen, but when it comes to spinning tales of despair and desire, Crows is simply another bird of a feather. 

Standout Tracks: "The Stars and I," "Still This Side of Gone" LEE ZIMMERMAN