Furnace Room Lullaby

2000 album for 'alt-country's answer to k.d. lang' includes contributions from Ron Sexsmith & Kelly Hogan. Bloodshot.

Laying waste to all the wink-wink irony, dubious material, and vocal mediocrity that frequently mires alt-country fringe dwellers, the second outing from this Virginia-born belter marries tough, twangy rock with wild, unguarded emotion. Neko's principal charm may be her voice--sometimes coming on with Dusty Springfield's indigo-eyed soul (the dreamlike "Porchlight"), Patsy Cline's aching slow burn (the slinky "No Need to Cry"), and Wanda Jackson's imperious sexuality (the rockabilly "Mood to Burn Bridges")--but her songwriting (she cowrote every tune) is surprisingly consistent and memorable. She celebrates the "passion for life" found in her abandoned home of Tacoma, Washington, or a strapped-on Telecaster, and on her best song, "Guided by Wire," she balances between "darkest recollection" and the freedom of music, the kind that matters most, all those voices "singing my life back to me." --Roy Kasten