Seastories

Minnie Drivers new CD SEASTORIES explores new musical territory, from the rich sonic textures of "Beloved" to the bluesy soul of "Cold Dark River" to the seductive minor key groove of "Mockingbird" to the poetic chamber folk of "Lakewater Hair." Producer Marc "Doc" Dauer and guest musicians Ryan Adams and The Cardinals, Liz Phair and Rami Jaffee (The Wallfowers) match but never overwhelm Driver's vivid lyrics, soaring melodies and spirited performances on this thoroughly pleasing collection of intelligent pop.

"A Triple A Triumph."- Chuck Taylor (Billboard Magazine)
"Driver proves to be Hollywood's soulful surprise." - Gabe Guarente (US Weekly)
"A Minnie-Splendored Thing... Anybody who dismissed Minnie Driver's debut as just the whim of another moonlighting actress will have a hard time denying her now." - Brian Mansfield (USA Today)
"Driver is clearly a confident performer and a songwriter with a style both evocative and economical." - Kevin Bronson (Los Angeles Times)

Minnie Driver is hardly the first starlet to dive into pop music, but on her second album she stretches out for Americana credibility--and only partially succeeds. Writing every song on the album (with just a few musical assists from producer Marc "Doc" Dauer), she positions herself somewhere between Suzanne Vega and Sheryl Crow, getting help from alt-country and roots-rock illuminati Jonny Polansky, Neil Casal, Eric Heywood, Ryan Adams, and Rami Jaffee. The album has a wafting, acoustic-pop ambience, with a few country rockers driving home her serviceably sexy vocals. The problem is her songs barely rise to the level of a Jewel chapbook. Driver obsesses over her own erotic-spiritual journey, and can often create a plaintive, sensual mood, but the material lacks the universal touch of an inspired singer-songwriter. Head-scratching lines like "If love is the answer you seek, you're asking the wrong kind of questions" and "When my shadow cuts my life in two, I can see the best of me is you" suggest she yearns to make a personal statement. Crafting her stories or honing her hooks would have been more convincing. --Roy Kasten