[.ca] Land Of Milk And Honey

An alternative perspective to Roy's:
Insofar as these reviews might tilt you toward or against purchasing a CD, I'd like to offer another perspective to Roy's impressions above (and suggest that beauty must be in the ear of the beholder). To my ear, some of these works are among the many particularly good recent releases by singer/songwriters. Land of Milk & Honey, The Red Thread and Afterglow are my favorite releases of Ms. Gilkyson, Kaplansky and McLachlan. 2004 has been a fantastic year: Mindy Smith, Patty Griffin, Norah Jones, Lizza Connor... And try Tori Amos' post-911 recording -- really nice.

What a wonderful album!:
I like it when great music just sneaks up on me. I purchased this on a whim and I think it's simply wonderful. Eliza has a warm, sensual voice and a firm grasp of the human condition. Having said that, I should probably also tell you the album is not all sweetness and light. There are references to the war in Iraq, terrorism and one song features a woman who extracts her revenge for a lifetime of abuse. To bring the whole thing to a close, there's a simple, lovely call for peace that was written by Woody Guthrie. It's rare that I'm as moved and uplifted by an album as I am by "Land of Milk and Honey". Eliza, this is beautiful. Thank you!

Hard years for singer/songwriters:
The post 9/11 years seem to have been hard ones for female singer/songwriters. Lucinda Williams continued her precipitous musical decline after Car Wheels on a Gravel Road with the execrable World Without Tears. Sarah Maclachlan's Afterglow was all sweet aural delights and no content. Dar Williams Beauty of the Rain was a dismal spot on an otherwise remarkably consistent and challenging career. And Lucy Kaplansky (The Red Thread) and Jonatha Brooke (Back to the Circus)seemed to have retreated into competence. Brooke's, in particular, seemed to tread water with inexplicably chosen cover tunes (a Super Tramp hit) and sound effects. Now, Eliza Gilkyson comes drifting in from the Land of Milk and Honey, with another defeatist record. Gilkyson can be a bracing, sexy singer/writer. She can rock, she can be funny and she can write brooding, heartbreaking ballads. With this record, though, she's gone for the Big Statement--and it's not interesting. It's earnest, dull, monotonal. The melodies ride the same midtempo throughout. It's a record that's curiously muted. The highly touted song on the record is a newly discovered Woody Guthrie tune. Several years ago, Billy Bragg and Wilco showed how to bring Guthrie to a new audience--by rocking like madmen. Gilkyson, joined by an all star chorus of sister singers, wants to lullaby us. It's not bad--it's just not particularly fun or uplifting or inspiring. And I don't think that's where the man's music was meant to go. I wouldn't go back to this particular land either.

Another gem from a great artist:
This is a wonderful CD, one that is very reflective of the times it was written in. Eliza has a truly beautiful voice. She explores tunings on her guitar that give her the room to use her voice in ways that are unique and very soulful. If you like her past works, you'll appreciate this effort. If you are new to her music, you are in for treat.

A lot to like (and think about) on this album.:
Eliza Gilkyson rolls right off the top with "Hiway 9", a bona fide anti-Iraqi war protest song with a great melody and catchy lyrics. " Dark Side of Town" is another excellent song that brings some insight to some of the seedier sides of Texas. "The Ballad of Yvonne Johnson" is a poignant story about a life gone terribly wrong. You can almost feel the subject's pain in the voice of the singer."Wonderland" is an up tempo, pop-like tune similar to several which Mary Chapin Carpenter recorded to success on a number of occasions . The album closes out with the Woody Guthrie song "Peace Call". "Land of Milk and Honey" is a quality effort that fits right in with the times. This is a very notable effort by a fine singer/songwriter.

• Hiway 9
• Not Lonely
• Dark Side of Town,
• Tender Mercies,
• Wonderland
• Separated
• Ballad of Yvonne Johnson
• Runnin Away
• Milk and Honey
• Peace Call.