Produced by Ben Harper, this latest release by famous for being obscure chanteuse Ricki Lee Jones has the singer seemingly taking in the mindset and sound of early Tom Waits. Her voice at this stage in her career even sounds like the man of Old ’55, and the spare instrumentation, usually just a plaintive guitar or effects, makes the mood even starker. What she emphasizes here are Boomer Tunes from the Laurel Canyon crowd, revisiting material by Neil Young (“Only Love Can Break Your Heart”), The Band (“The Weight”) and Donovan (“Catch The Wind). A pair of songs by the Rolling Stones sound a bit harrowing, particularly her take of “Sympathy…” which still resonates after all these years. Dreary and tired, this material should be listened to away from sharp objects.
Concord Records