Long Night Moon
Singer-songwriter Catie Curtis's albums always arrive as elegant, but unassuming, presents. Like those of her friend, Mary Chapin Carpenter, who guests here with gorgeous alto harmonies on "Water and Stone," Curtis's songs are beautifully and deceptively well crafted, her production tastefully understated, and her singing so heartbreakingly pure, pained, and devoid of artifice as to suggest she knows not only your secrets, but your soul. The theme that runs through these 12 disarming songs is one of reconnection, both with a lover and with the world, but in a way that makes things better--that makes a difference. "People Look Around," a song about the aftermath of Katrina that Curtis co-wrote with Mark Erelli, won the 2006 International Songwriting Competition grand prize, beating out 15,000 entries from 82 countries. But there are other songs here that might have done the same. Curtis is at her emotional best when she is full of longing that won't be resolved, when she gives voice to feelings that refuse to stay hidden, and when she acts on desires that won't be dismissed. "Find You Now," with its imagery of seeing a potential lover's headlights crawl across her bedroom wall, is a perfect example. But it's the chorus--"Did you drop your flowers / Underneath the bridge / They're floating on a river / Blowing like a kiss"--that destroys you. Despite her 15 years of playing and criss-crossing the country, Curtis has yet to achieve the notoriety and status she deserves. But perhaps deliverance is only on the other side of thisLong Night Moon.--Alanna Nash