This review is from: Didn't It Feel Kinder (Audio CD) Fans of Amy Ray's solo albums know up front that she goes against the grain when recording on her own. The punk/riot grrrl sound of Stag and Prom, her previous solo offerings, is so far removed from the neo-folk and Americana of the Indigo Girls that it seems these disparate styles are coming from two completely different people. For Didn't It Feel Kinder, Ray again plays against expectations, but this time by largely turning away from the angry and brash do-it-yourself-isms of previous offerings, in favor of a much more tuneful and considered approach, not to mention a much broader sonic palette. Kinder succeeds and flies highest when Ray steps farthest outside the box and pushes herself beyond three cords and the truth. The opening track Birds of a Feather, is a real slow-burner. "Hey Brother," Ray sings, "it's hard to be touched, taught to hide and dress alone." I'd say what I think the lyrics meant, and I'd probably be wrong. But it is my favorite cut on the album. She's Got to Be, a gorgeous declaration of a very unordinary love, and an early highlight of the album, rides a laid back SoCal groove, reminding me musically of something Linda Rondstadt might have recorded in the early Seventies. The bump and grind of Bus Bus might shock longtime fans, but underneath the decidedly modern groove is classic Ray lyrical imagery - part stream of concious, part message from the road. Stand and Deliver, another of my favorites, features one of the best vocal performances I've heard from Amy. At first very tender, almost fragile, then turning fiery. This is passion, commitment and - dare I say it ? - soul. Who Sold the Gun is oil and water. The lyrics seem at odds with the music only because they're so smart - hook-filled, truly pop songs rarely have this kind of depth. And don't get me started on how much I love the reggae breakdown in the third quarter, and the last, acapella, line. The closing track Rabbit Foot takes us closer into Indigo Girls territory than anything else on the album, with its gentle acoustics and plaintive melody and lyric. It has an almost full-circle feel to it, and gives me great faith in her continuing growth as a musician and songwriter. It's as if knowing where her greatest strengths lie is what's allowing her to step outside her safety zone and deliver curve balls like Didn't It Feel Kinder. Very highly recommended.
*Digital versions of DIFK contain an alternate version of She's Got to Be, as well as Me and My Baby, a short, bare acoustic song that will be the highlight of the solo tour.