Emmylou Harris

Harris' guest book of collaborators bears some impressive signatures, which she augments here by roping in a wide swath of songwriters (including two excellent songs cowritten by Kate and Anna McGarrigle and a tune by Tracy Chapman) and leading a lovely ensemble effort, "Gold," alongside two equally recognizable voices -- Vince Gill and Dolly Parton. Standing alone, it does little to change the stature of her long and celebrated career, but songs like "Hold On" couldn't be executed any more gracefully.

Emmylou Harris looks like a hippie, but don't be fooled: She's totally goth. In her 40-year
career she's infused her music with the stark melancholy of Appalachian ballads and
old-timey Americana. But here, she practically fetishizes woe, mourning lost love and lost
time, even singing a literal funereal song on the gently swaying "Not Enough," about a dead
lover's burial. Harris' clearwater soprano sounds lovely floating above acoustic g... More >