Amy Speace
(Thirty Tigers)
With a solid, critically acclaimed catalog to build upon, Amy Speace seems poised to make an even more emphatic mark in the world of nu-folk and hushed Americana. Airplay, accolades and a successful stint with Judy Collins' Wildflower Records -- accompanied by kudos bestowed by Ms. Collins herself - have, up until now, made her an artist worth watching. Needless to say, they've also created exceptional expectations for her new LP.
Even so, Speace isn't resting on her laurels. After trading the urban environs of Jersey City to take up residence in Nashville, she joined forces with producer Neilson Hubbard, whose ubiquitous soundscapes give an eerie backdrop to these brooding, beguiling laments. Speace alternately coos and croons, generally steady yet serene on songs such as "Drive All Night," "Galbraith Street" and "Ghost," and like a suggestive nocturnal siren on the overtly alluring "It's Too Late to Call It a Night." There's a certain sadness in Speace's aching vocals and weary platitudes, and when she wails, "When are you ever going to change for me" on the quietly pulsating "Change for Me," it's clear she's pursuing a futile appeal.
Nevertheless, even in this bittersweet and often shifting sonic terrain, Speace surges forward, her aching caress discreetly bolstered by harmonies from Kim Richey on the fragile and exceptionally beautiful "Real Love Song." Yet, that vulnerability doesn't diminish Speace's strengths. To the contrary, her subtle, studied approach finds the beguiling Land Like a Bird as graceful as its title implies.
DOWNLOAD: "Drive All Night," ""Ghost," "Change For Me" LEE ZIMMERMAN
