Jolie Holland: The Living and the Dead

Holland’s newest album, The Living and the Dead, offers a laid-back Americana folk feel, providing a nice contrast to the blues and jazz approach on her last album, Spring Time Can Kill You.Her honest, emotionally charged drawl overshadows her modest vocal range is modest.  This is especially noticeable on the shimmering guitar track, “Mexico,” where Holland’s vocals give the song its heart and soul.

Weaving a rich tapestry of personal narratives that are earnest in their delivery, her songwriting is tighter than ever. On the hushed “You Painted Yourself In,” Holland sings, “Invisible light in your lovers heart / will show the way through the fiery furnace / and what burns up is torn away / and what remains is a beautiful promise.”

“Fox In Its Hole” is a reflective slow-burner in which Holland’s angular vocal melodies seemingly enhance the myriad of loose percussion. While the blues rock of “Your Big Hands” features Holland howling about a topical subject– heartbreak.

On The Living and the Dead, Holland is obviously becoming more comfortable with her country roots and has made an album that would be perfect for those steamy nights in the Texas hill country.

-Richard Giraldi

Jolie Holland: www.jolieholland.com
ANTI-: www.anti.com