All That We Let In
Indigo Girls
Joan Osborne
Engineer: Glenn Matullo,
Producer: Peter Collins
Epic (USA), 2005
1 CD
Catalogue #: 92075
EAN: 0827969207529
UPC: 827969207529
You save: 25%
Includes a bonus DVD of the Indigo Girls' performance at The Bottom Line, New York, New York, on December 4, 2003.
This is a DualDisc, which contains a CD on one side of the disc and a DVD on the other.
Indigo Girls: Emily Sailers, Amy Ray (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, 12-string guitar, mandolin, piano).
Additional personnel: Mark Van Allen (pedal steel guitar); David Henry (cello); Carol Isaacs (pennywhistle, ocarina, accordion, recorder, piano, Wurlitzer piano, Hammond b-3 organ, vibraphone, percussion); Brady Blade (drums, percussion); John Holmes (congas); Joan Osborne (background vocals).
Recording information: Tree Sound Studios, Norcross, Georgia.
With ALL THAT WE LET IN, the Indigo Girls succeed at melding the earthier, folk-based sound of their earlier outings with a more rocking approach. Of course, Emily Saliers and Amy Ray's leftist sentiments are firmly in the mix, with Saliers using the state of the environment as a relationship metaphor in the snappy "Fill It Up Again" and Ray striking a balance between global citizenship and being a good partner in the harmony-laden "Perfect World."
On this outing, successful attempts at cavorting in different musical styles make for the best moments. The double-time, Wurlitzer-fueled ska of the infectious "Heartache for Everyone" would make Ray faves the Clash smile, and "Dairy Queen" with its penny whistle-soaked Celtic vibe makes for quite an up-tempo breakup song. Longtime friend Joan Osborne makes her first appearance on an Indigo Girls album since 1999's COME ON NOW SOCIAL and, of the three songs she appears on here, "Tether" is the most moving. Amid a soaring organ line and a swirling torrent of guitars that brings to mind Derek & the Dominos, Osborne's heartfelt phrasing makes a powerful impression alongside Saliers and Ray's equally compelling vocals.
Tracklist
Indigo Girls
Since the late-1980s, the Athens, Georgia, duo of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers, collectively the Indigo Girls, have been creating gentle, yet furious harmonies, gloriously un-fragile folk crafted with an uncompromising DIY aesthetic. In 1989, MTV caught wind of the pair and, while the outlet's sensationalist nature harped on the lesbian angle, the station also pushed the single "Closer to Fine" onto the pop charts. The fanbase remained, even after any wisp of novelty faded, and the 1990s saw the Indigo Girls release a constant stream of critically praised records, highlighted by RITES OF PASSAGE and SWAMP OPHELIA.
Joan Osborne
In 1995, it was difficult to escape the jangly ballad "One of Us," with its insanely catchy chorus, quasi-mystical lyrics, and soulful delivery. The song made Joan Osborne a star, but hardly an overnight sensation, as the Kentucky-born singer had been honing her chops in New York bars for years, singing the kind of bluesy, folky pop that would make her major label debut, RELISH, so universally beloved. Osborne toured with Lilith Faire in '97 and '98, and finally released a follow-up album in 2000. Although the album enjoyed some critical acclaim, it lacked an identifiable single and tanked on the charts. Osborne continued to release albums on indies thereafter, as well as joining the post-Jerry Garcia Grateful Dead for their wildly popular live shows.
