The House Carpenter's Daughter

The first release on Merchant's own indie label, Myth America, is a great and understated album and a sweet surprise after so many years of lushly-produced adult pop. Portentously subtitled "A Collection of Traditional & Contemporary Folk Music," it's not as dry as its title implies. Her connoisseur selection of covers and well-written liner notes show Merchant to be no O Brother-come-lately. Of particular note are her versions of '90s indie act the Horseflies' "Sally Ann," the Appalachian ballad "House Carpenter," and an obscure, 18th-century Protestant hymn, "Weeping Pilgrim." And while it would be a lie to say that she sings Fairport Convention's "Crazy Man Michael" any better than Sandy Denny did in 1968, her version holds its own (not an easy thing to do). The Fairport template, to add electric instrumentation to traditional folk music, is one that's followed throughout House Carpenter's Daughter, but the arrangements are respectful and smart throughout. The songs are always given room to breathe, to tell their earnest and well-worn truths. Merchant's distinctive, vowel-heavy voice has not sounded this gorgeous in years. -- Mike McGonigal