News Archives
KVU.com - CD Briefs: Carrie Newcomer
August 15th, 2005
by Mario Tarradell, Tucson Fox News
Calling Carrie Newcomer a folk singer-songwriter doesn't seem enough. Especially since on Regulars and Refugees, her ninth album, she goes beyond mere melodies and lyrics.
The CD's essentially a short story set to music. The characters in the 14 songs come from Betty's Diner, a short story she wrote two years ago.
The characters and songs are thoughtful and thought-provoking, particularly the messages in "I Try" and "Be True." Ms. Newcomer believes in love without parameters and the purity of humanity. She has a fondness for dogs and she's a sucker for old-fashioned romance. Plus, she can deliver a melancholy song such as "La Paloma" with graceful tenderness.
But the carefully woven tale at the heart of Regulars and Refugees almost seems like an added bonus. What's most important here is what Ms. Newcomer always offers, a batch of beautifully melodic tunes sung in her soothing alto.
Grade: B+
"Regulars and Refugees" (Rounder)