Mary Gauthier - 2005 - Mercy Now [320]

A spark of redemption illuminates even the darker songs on Mercy Now, the fourth album by Mary Gauthier. The influence of her native Louisiana pervades her Southern Gothic songcraft, which first won an audience in the folk clubs of Boston. After a series of releases on independent labels, her Lost Highway debut seems destined to expand that audience significantly. Within her mature, weather-beaten artistry, Dylanesque metaphysics go to Mardi Gras on "Wheel Inside the Wheel"; the naked emotion and eye for detail of "Your Sister Cried" and "Empty Spaces" conjure comparisons with Lucinda Williams; and the plainspoken "I Drink" and "Drop in a Bucket" have the bittersweet bite of the best of John Prine. The spare arrangements of producer/guitarist Gurf Morlix, punctuated by cello, organ, and harmonica, give the material plenty of room to breathe. Gauthier's vocals are half-spoken, half-sung, and all soul.
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Mary Gauthier - 2007 - Between Daylight & Dark [VBR]

Between Daylight and Dark is Mary Gauthier's sixth full-length offering, and a compelling step forward from 2005's Mercy Now. Between Daylight And Dark was cut live, with minimal overdubs, and produced by Joe Henry. The album features guest appearances by Van Dyke Parks (piano on "Can't Find The Way") and Loudon Wainwright III.
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Mary Gauthier - 1999 - Drag Queens In Limousines [320]

With strong songwriting and powerful vocals, the alternative country album Drag Queens in Limousines might be a pleasant surprise for some who try to judge it by its unusual title alone. This 1999 sophomore album was recorded by Louisiana native Mary Gauthier. Of course, most of the numbers on this award-winning offering aren't your everyday kind of country. Some of the lyrics have even been called brutally honest. One of the songs, "Karla Faye," is about a Texas death row inmate by that name. Other numbers are simply about the rejects of society and the struggles that most people face at one point or another. Gauthier is a talented singer and completely capable of sharing her emotions through her lyrics. A few songs fans can sample on this album are "Different Kind of Gone," "Our Lady of the Shooting Stars," and "Lucky Stars."
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