To hear singer/songwriter Carrie Rodriguez's signature sound is to fall in love for the first time.
Hailing from the prolific acoustic music hotbed of New York City, Carrie brings passion and mystery to her songwriting, with sultry lyrics that support complex emotions, and superb hands that approach her fiddle and mandolin flourishes like a world-class sushi chef on a caffeine binge.
Carrie Rodriguez's New CD: She Ain't Me
On Carrie's latest CD "She Ain't Me", her second release on the Manhattan/Back Porch label, Carrie deftly walks the fine lines between backwoods country music, acoustic blues, southern alt rock, and dirtroad Americana folk to create a powerful album that's chock full of strength, substance, and conviction.
As with 2006's "Seven Angels on a Bicycle", there's clear hints of Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, and Lucinda Williams woven into the fabric, but the overall feel remains highly fresh and unreserved, like she's wired a tape recorder directly to her subconscious thoughts.
Great Songs on Carrie Rodriguez's Latest CD
Tracks like "Infinite Night" and "Rag Doll" simply ooze with soulful southern charm, while the title track "She Ain't Me" is supported by introspective, stream of consciousness lyrics and a slick guitar riff that's wrapped around a tight, driving rhythm section. And there's some substantial help from Carrie's friends as well, with a superb guest vocal by the aforementioned Lucinda Williams on the powerful "Mask of Moses".
Carrie Rodriguez Embraces Musical Diversity
It's clear that Carrie Rodriguez isn't afraid to take chances when approaching her musical style. Her musical whims are freely followed, in any direction they want to run. This can be tough for an emerging artist these days, as everyone from music stores to radio stations is looking to tightly classify everything under the sun.
But given the continuous critical acclaim that Carrie's been receiving, and the throngs of rabid fans that she's satisfied at hundreds of live performances from Europe to the Grand Ole Opry, diversity seems to be more of a selling point for her than a hindrance. And that's refreshing.
Carrie Rodriguez's Backing Band
Then there's Carrie's stellar backing band. Guitarist Hans Holzen and keyboardist Javier Vercher really help Carrie's musical ideas come to life with lush, vivid instrumentation, while the rhythm section of bassist Kyle Kegerreis and drummer Eric Platz is more than adept at laying down a solid backbeat foundation.
Carrie Rodriguez and band are on tour now in support of the new CD. Check her performance calendar at carrierodriguez.com/ and be sure to catch this amazing up-and-comer while she's out on the road and entrancing her audiences.
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