The Age of Possibility
Though Carrie Newcomer ranks with the most literary-minded of contemporary troubadours,The Age of Possibilityis as impressive for its musical buoyancy and melodic grace as it is for its narrative command. The album finds Newcomer, coproducer Mark Williams, and session leader Don Dixon achieving a perfect balance of sound and sense. Subtle touches pay significant dividends: the cello that underscores the hymnlike purity of "Thread" and "Sparrow," the accordion that waltzes through the autobiographical "Just Like Downtown," the vibraphone that gives the shimmer to "Seven Dreams." For all the thematic ambition of this song cycle--as Newcomer sings of love and loss, blood and legacy, the passage of time and the timelessness of faith--the results are never ponderous or preachy.--Don McLeese