Sound of You & Me
Vocal warmth, melodic lilt and lyrical intimacy highlight the music of Garrison Starr, whose fifth album continues her progression from pop innocence to a more reflective brand of songcraft. Coproduced by Brad Jones and Neilson Hubbard (who provides instrumental and vocal support), the stripped-down arrangements give Starr's songs of emotional resilience and spiritual resonance plenty of room to breathe, with acoustic guitar occasionally punctuated by piano, minimal percussion and chamber strings. Where much of the music tends toward the folkier side of Starr's artistry, a swirl of strings and a flurry of electric guitar bring "Big Enough" to a Beatlesque climax. Starr hasn't lost her affinity for a catchy hook, as the irresistible "Let Me In" and "Beautiful in Los Angeles" attest, but the prevailing mood here is less buoyant, most bittersweet.--Don McLeese