A few weeks ago, we saw Jolie Holland open for Hayden who opened for Sarah Harmer. Jolie Holland completely floored me. Her voice is one part Cat Power, one part Billie Holliday, and her music is somewhere in Louisiana and Paris and Seattle at the same time. And maybe somewhere else that I can't really place yet.
I picked up her latest CD, Escondida this weekend, and I don't think I would be at all upset if someone told me this album had to play over and over again, thousands and thousands of times, for the rest of my life. The opening track, "Sascha" is hypnotically lilting, wry, and charming, and the rest of the album just melts into that mold.
You know, when I first heard Norah Jones' voice, I couldn't help but anticipate the greatness that would quickly find its way to her. But I was also just as quickly disappointed (which doesn't mean I don't love her music) - I wanted her to do so much more with that phenomenal voice. Escondida is totally what I was denied from Norah Jones.
It's the sort of music that I want wistfully surrounding me when I close my eyes and slowly sink deeper into a hot bath. Or when I have a small group of beautiful friends over for dinner. Or when I drive with the windows down, trying to find somewhere untouched. Or when I sit outside on the porch surrounded by wildflowers and potted vegetable plants and drink something strong in the weak summer evening heat. So come to think of it, I might just choose to play it over and over again, thousands and thousands of times.
Folk on, Jolie.
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