Amanda Garrigues
Groundswell
Average Sinner
Man is this good. Amanda Garrigues’ follow-up to her 1998 Spirit Act album, this nine-song CD clocks in at under a half-hour, but frankly, I’d rather hear 28 minutes of really good material than 55 minutes containing a half hour of filler. There’s none here. Ms. Garrigues’ stints in Gainesville’s Big Shoals Tract and as backing vocalist for Athens’ Hetch Hetchy show a consummate vocal performer and writer, self-assured at every step, knowing the best performance is sometimes (and especially in this acoustic-based genre) a restrained one. The production is top-notch without glossing over too much (hear the string-slide squeaks on the first cut, for example). The backing band instrumentation is equally tasteful and allows the songs, all written by Garrigues (except one by Noah’s Red Tattoo’s Jared Flamm) to shine. A great acoustic-based album.
P.O. Box14314, Gainesville, FL 32604, http://www.amandagarrigues.com, amnada@indiegrrl.com
