After two albums, it seemed that Sandra McCracken was happy to remain an
independent folk music artist. But then everything changed. A record label
in the United Kingdom wanted her. So Sandra went for it. But while she may
be a star across the pond, she lives in obscurity here in the States. But
thanks to the Internet, her music is not too hard to find. Check out our
review and visit her site to hear this amazing album. Also, check out the
numerous other female pop artists who are releasing albums this week below.

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BEST LAID PLANS - SANDRA McCRACKEN (2004)
by Bert Gangl

While making the food and drink run for one's companions might seem like the
lowliest of tasks to some, it's likely that Derek Webb now looks fondly on
such activity. Sent out for coffee and munchies while he and his former
bandmates in Caedmon's Call were recording the Long Line of Leavers album in
Nashville in the spring of 2000, Webb ran across indie artist Sandra
McCracken performing at a small café just two doors from the group's studio.
Impressed with both McCracken and her music, Webb worked up the courage to
ask her to open some dates on the band's upcoming tour. McCracken and Webb
began dating soon afterwards, and were eventually married in January of
2001.

For Best Laid Plans, McCracken uses the eclectic, acoustically-based music
of her first two indie efforts, 2000's The Crucible and 2001's Gypsy Flat
Road, as a starting point. The stark cello and piano-driven leadoff track,
"Plenty," finds McCracken in a wispy, slightly dissonant voice (think Tori
Amos meets Christine Denté) relaying a gripping portrayal of indifferent
love ("I poured out like a rainstorm / You were dry under the bridge"). "No
More Tears" is a gritty, yet literate account of hurt and abuse which proves
that all-out rock need not check its brain at the door. The bracing "Last
Goodbye" shows McCracken steering her vocals in a roots rock-friendly vein,
a la Sheryl Crow or Jill Phillips. And "Find You Out" is quite simply a
solid, well-written piece of radio-friendly pop.

McCracken hits a rough patch around the midpoint of the record. The
bluegrass-tinged "500 Miles," although agreeable enough, is ultimately
rather undistinguished. "Took You for Granted" ("I took you for granted /
Left you there stranded / I just need a second chance") is similarly
featureless, both musically and lyrically. "Where Do You Go to My Lovely,"
a number one hit for English folk singer Peter Sarstedt on the British
charts in 1969, is every bit as smug and tedious as the original. And while
the Biblical references in the Celtic-inspired "Son of Cain" ("All this
blame is justified / Drop your sword / Leave me to wander far and wide") add
a certain poignancy to its plea for mercy and forgiveness, the song itself
lacks the infectious melodic leaning of McCracken's finest work.

Fortunately, the tailspin is only temporary. The slightly countrified
"Stay" ("Through the kitchen walls / Underneath the pavement / Are the
secrets of the fall / In some long-forgotten language") is worded just
obliquely enough that it requires multiple listens to fully digest and
appreciate, which is one of the hallmarks of great songwriting. "Letters,"
with its triumphant combination of cello and lazy slide guitar, sounds every
bit like classic ELO – a very good thing, by the way, regardless of whether
or not one remembers the '70s. And the closing track, "Age after Age,"
which features McCracken and Webb backed only by hi string guitar and
harmonium, is the perfect bookend for the sparsely instrumented "Plenty."

Listeners enamored with McCracken's back catalog might balk at Plans'
slightly tempered indie inclinations. Fans of Top 40 radio, on the other
hand, may well be put off by the album's overridingly somber tone and
sometimes inscrutable language. Those willing to approach the new release
objectively, though, will find that it stands quite nicely on its own merit.
McCracken's voice is sturdy and adaptable, handling rock, pop, folk and
bluegrass with equal ease. And her lyrics, while admittedly an acquired
taste, are nearly always both thought-provoking and moving. Whether
McCracken goes on to gain widespread recognition or labors on in relative
anonymity remains to be seen. Either way, those who like their music served
with honesty and depth are certain to be pleased with the talented
singer/songwriter's latest undertaking.

Read more about Sandra McCracken at her official site:
http://www.sandramccracken.com/


MORE NEW STUFF ON cMUSICWEB.COM

Feature: Paul Wright (Flip-Flops Not Included)
http://cMusicWeb.com/pop/paulwright/interview.shtml

Review: Great River Road - Jason Upton
http://cMusicWeb.com/worship/jasonupton/greatriverroad.shtml


AVAILABLE TUESDAY, MAY 3 (at cMusicWeb.com or your local music store)

BEAUTY HAS GRACE - JACI VELASQUEZ
If you think you've heard Jaci Velasquez before, forget what you've learned.
The Latin pop princess has been around for almost a decade, but today marks
a new era for Jaci. Leaving behind the world of Britney-style pop and
Christian AC, Jaci has become a true artist. Beauty Has Grace is definitely
Jaci's most personal album and replaces pop synth with guitars. Produced by
Martin Terefe (Ron Sexsmith), this PICK OF THE WEEK is a celebration of
musical maturity.

GENESIS - JOY WILLIAMS
Three years have passed since Joy's second album, By Surprise. And this
album finds Joy maturing in many ways, both lyrically and musically.

LIVE FROM NEW ORLEANS - GINNY OWENS
Although this live album is a good one, it seems to me to be oversaturating
the market. Ginny's Blueprint EP did basically the same thing as this album,
and that was just a couple years ago. Fans will enjoy the new song and a
Lenny Kravitz cover, but newbies should consider an older album to check out
this amazing artist.

ROCK OF AGES... HYMNS OF FAITH - AMY GRANT
Amy Grant returns with more hymns. Join the club!


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Dan Ficker
http://cMusicWeb.com/
a different approach to music
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