'Distant'... is so close!
...to the top of my list of favorite albums of the year. This record represents a tremendous leap forward for this D.C.-area singer/songwriter from her previous album, released way back in 2001. Her exquisite voice and poetic songwriting are in top form, but it is the production and full-band arrangements this time around that set the songs in a what could best be described as a haunted Americana landscape that renders this album just about perfect from beginning to end. "Broken Glass" stands out as an obvious single, "Death Valley" is an immediate classic of the genre, and the June & Johnny-esque foot-stomper "Get Along, Joseph" keeps the mood from getting too windswept overall.
