Search - Various Artists :: No Depression: What It Sounds Like 2

Exquisitely drawn collection of country roots music

hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 06/25/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The editors of No Depression magazine return with their second demonstration of music that fits under the "No Depression" umbrella. Some may equate "No Depression" with an alt.country universe that eschews familiar artists, but that notion is quickly dispelled by one look at this volume's roster. Though many of these acts are drawn from outside the commercial mainstream, many - Jay Farrar, Ryan Adams, and the Flatlanders to pick a few - have broken through from indieville to broader audiences. Others, such as Johnny Cash, Patty Loveless and Kieran Kane, are familiar from the Billboard country charts, and here they reiterate their bedrock commitments to honest, roots-oriented music.



Taking commercially successful artists under the tent isn't such a surprise if one considers that the phrase "No Depression" was lifted from the works of the Carter Family, one of country music's early mainstream successes. Still, as earthy, emotionally deep American music is pushed to the commercial margins, there's a dwindling number of chart-topping artists who've retained (or are willing to openly display) a connection to the music's roots. Patty Loveless is a thoughtful pick, as her tenure at the top of the country charts was always complemented by emotionally searing album tracks. Her "Mountain Soul" CD, from which this collection's "Sounds of Loneliness" was drawn, was equally inspired by the long-standing acoustic portion of her live set and the commercial resurgence that followed "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" And lest you think she's a bandwagon jumper, the track here revisits her first songwriting effort, written pre-fame in the early '70s at the age of 15.



As with the first volume of this set, editors Blackstock and Alden pull together a variety of sounds, all relating back to the deep well of sadness and ocean of longing that made up much of A.P. Carter's catalog. The songs range from the haunting fiddle of Loveless' "Sounds of Lonliness" to the old-timey sounds of Paul Burch's "I Am Here" to the gospel-flavored harmonies of Kieran Kane's take on the Carters' "Will You Miss Me" and REM-like modernity of Jay Farrar's "Station to Station."



Fans that've already soaked up the No Depression oeuvre will be happy to get their hands on a few rarities, including Farrar's track from the "ThirdShiftGrottoShack" EP, a Caitlin Cary/Ryan Adams duet previously issued on a limited edition 3" CD, and a rarity from The Flatlanders original early '70s sessions. It's ironic to review a CD that's raison d'être is to explain - in music - the last decade of writing in the magazine. So listen to the samples, grab yourself a copy, and use this CD (along with the editor's detailed song-by-song liner notes) as a roadmap to a rich musical universe. [©2006 hyperbolium dot com]"