Laura Veirs
Issue #25
Year of Meteors (Nonesuch)
By Jim Keller
Published: September 1st, 2005 | 2:41pm
After self-releasing her first two records and gaining momentum with subsequent releases, Laura Veirs returns with Year of Meteors, a charming compilation of soundscapes forged while on tour in 2004. The album showcases Veirs' vocal melodies, which flow like honey and glide on air, while boasting organic lyrics featuring animals and all things earthen — all in all, a delightful journey.
Veirs and her band, the Tortured Souls, have a knack for creating a sense of peace in a world that possesses very little. Whether it's the keyboards reaching out on "Secret Someones," the guitar layers on "Rialto," or the viola sprinkled throughout, ears everywhere are sure to open up and let Year of Meteors in.
Though Veirs has mastered the art of comforting, she is equally impressive when she stomps on the distortion pedal and shatters the peaceful snow-globe world she just created, as exemplified on "Black Gold Blues."
Year of Meteors explores so many different dimensions: it blasts off into space, dives under water, and flies with birds — all the while maintaining focus and clarity. Not every album achieves this; in fact, I'd say its Veirs' own recipe.
—
Laura Veirs' official Web site
Laura Veirs' Myspace page
Comments
Please login to be able to comment on this article.
more