Out of the Valley
Like Lyle Lovett, John Gorka is a singer-songwriter with a warped view of relationships and a wicked but deadpan sense of humor, both disguised by a dry baritone that doesn't seem to fit comfortably in any musical format. WithOut of the ValleyGorka moves out of the folkie ghetto into the peculiar gospel-swing-chamber-music niche that only Lovett seems to inhabit. Producer John Jennings, who helped make a star of another ex-folkie, Mary Chapin Carpenter, makes this transition remarkably smooth, and the result is a major step forward for this underappreciated talent.--Geoffrey Himes