Caitlin Canty hails from small-town Vermont, but honed her craft in New York City. She is a consummate songwriter who has collaborated with a number of different bands. This, her third full-length album release, is a fine collection of 12 songs that ranges from country ballads to dark blues and quiet folk. Ms. Canty’s voice is soft, sure and brings to mind Bonnie Raitt, Lucinda Williams and Gillian Welch. That’s pretty good company to be a member of!
The opening cut, “Get Up,” is especially compelling and sets the tone for the entire set. It urges the listener to “knock the breath out of your madness / burn your photographs at the edges.” In other words, shake off the blues and self-pity and get back to living. Ms. Canty’s lyrics are sharp, clear, poetic and steeped in nature: “like wind painting lace on the waves / I’ll roll you over in the pale moonlight” (“My Love For You Will Never Fade”). “I Never” is full of acoustic quiet fire and the next to last cut is a sparse, reverential cover of Neil Young’s “Unknown Legend.” The album closes with a whimsical waltz, “Cold Habit,” that lingers on in the mind long after the fade out.
Caitlin Canty possesses a rare and intelligent talent that has earned her growing respect and admiration. This beautiful album can only advance a career that deserves much greater renown.
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