MP3 Zoe Mulford - Roadside Saints

Spellbinding lyrics and compelling stories from an award-winning contemporary folk magician

12 MP3 Songs
FOLK: like Joni, FOLK: Modern Folk



Details:
Zoe Mulfordâs second album has fulfilled promise of her first, with a vengeance. As a first album for a singer-songwriter in the folk vein, âTraveling Moonâ had all the elements one would normally describe as âpromisingâ. The songs are well crafted, extremely listenable, with a couple of natural standouts â the wry âIf I Had a Celloâ the instant anthem âLife is Too Short to Fold Underwearâ â and an originality overall that boded well for things to come. In hindsight however, only the enigmatic âThe Street that Wasnât Thereâ gave any hint of the giant leap she had brewing.

With âRoadside Saintsâ, Zoe Mulford has joined the elite group of singer- songwriters whose songs are able to make the elusive leap from the individual to the universal and, even more elusive, to bring the listener with her when she leaps. âElegyâ, the opener, on the surface a story about glassware (yes, glassware), looks mortality in the face through the family crystal and drinks a quiet toast to the reaper over breakfast. âBlues for Twoâ pokes fun at the harm love does to all concerned and consoles itself that at least we donât have to suffer alone. âOur Lady of the Highwayâ, the collectionâs monster hit (you heard it here) turns a Maryland roadside shrine into a weary blessing for all wandering humanity (just try not singing along when the chorus comes back around).

Each song has its unique voice, invoking a myriad of styles. At first listen, in fact, the album could easily be taken for a collection of traditional songs from a handful of genres: the quietly cold-blooded âNobody Knockingâ with its sparse, Appalachian edge, the boisterous Celtic gaiety of âAmerican Wakeâ, the world music tempos of âStone Songâ. The glue that holds this heady soup together is the voice and presence of the singer, which is surprisingly comfortable in her closetful of varied costumes.

John Jenningsâ skillful production hits the ânot too much, not too littleâ bulls eye and invariably support the songs. An ensemble cast of supporting instruments- Rosie Shipleyâs violin, Pat Wictorâs slide guitar, Cheryl Prashkerâs percussion, Zoeâs brother Tobyâs bass â each make their contribution, as does the producer with a tasteful touch of keyboards. But what comes through in every track is the voice of the artist, a voice I suspect a lot of people are going to be hearing very soon. The first time Zoe Mulford listener is in for a pleasant surprise, as are fans of her first album, by how far she has come in so short a time. There is an optimism in these songs (âIâm Gonna Wear Redâ, for instance), but it is not the optimism of the naïve or self-sheltering. Itâs an optimism we can all share and very badly need just about now.

- Charles Nolan