Quite taken with Quiet About It, the new Jesse Winchester tribute disc, with Elvis Costello, Allen Toussaint, Rodney Crowell, James Taylor and other regal folk. The must-hear is Lucinda Williams’ spin on “Mississippi You’re On My Mind.” 

Quiet About It 

Rhymes With Truth

There are a handful of indie women who have a really nice feel for the folky side of country music, nodding to the past while keeping things modern. Laura Cantrell has always impressed; ditto for Kathleen Edwards and Eilen Jewell. With the arrival of Starlight Hotel (Signature Sounds), Zoe Muth should be added to the list. On “New Mexico,” she bumps into a blackbird on her windowsill and before you know it they’re not only pals, but traveling companions. When he splits, she begs him to provide an escape route by cracking a hole in the morning sky. A supple guitar offers a weary exhale, a mandolin jiggles its sorrow, and a brushed snare drum waxes bittersweet. With the slightest of sighs, Muth (rhymes with “truth”) finds some some short-term freedom. The whole thing has a Lucinda Williams feel, and, of course, that’s saying a lot. Muth’s uptempo stuff is cool, too. Explaining how she no longer believes in happy endings, she has her Lost High Rollers band bounce through “Come Inside” like momentum could cure every iota of disappointment in sight. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kepY7ox_9xg