ROB'S RECOMMENDED
RECORDINGS
FEATURED ALBUM

Mary Chapin Carpenter

time*sex* love

time*sex*love, released at the end of May, 2001, is Mary Chapin Carpenter's first album of new material since 1996. Simply put, this is the first album I've listened to in a very long time that draws me back to it on an almost daily basis. Like her finest work in the past, this album changes moods many times as you journey from track to track. Here are the highlights as I see them. Whenever You're Ready The opening track on any MCC album is usually a standout. This one is no exception. Heard it twice and I was humming it wherever I went. This is one of those uplifting songs that invites you to stretch some boundaries and take some chances. The chorus, though simple, is as catchy as it gets. Simple Life On the album's first single, the influence of Sir George Martin (who's acknowledged in the credits) and the Beatles is strongly in evidence. While lyrically delving into what one may go through as midlife approaches, the instrumentation and production make the cut sound like something right off of Abbey Road. John Jennings and Duke Levine serve up a soaring, if brief, guitar break and drummer Dave Mattacks provides a driving backbeat that reminds me of Ringo. What a great recording! Maybe World Here's one, on the other hand, which borrows heavily from Brian Wilson in more ways than one. Soaring harmonies and ethereal quality of the vocals couch a lyric that is by contrast anything but uplifting. If you're known to second-guess yourself once in a while, you may appreciate this one. This Is Me Leaving You Nothing vague or ironic about this one. It's the kind of flat-out twangy, put-you-in-your-place rocker you've come to expect every now and again from MCC. Has a thematic connection to the very popular He Thinks He'll Keep Her. Another one you may find yourself humming after a few listens. What Was It Like Like several of the other standout tracks, this one's co-written with Gary Burr. While not as musically interesting as a lot of those other tracks, this one's notable for some lyrics you may relate to if you've ever felt "like a big mistake that [someone] managed to not quite make" or perhaps maybe " like a passing glance that [someone] never gave a chance." The Long Way Home This is a thematic cousin of "Stones In the Road," but musically much more uptempo and contains another EXTREMELY catchy chorus. All in all, there are 14 tracks on this album, plus a hidden track at the end of the CD. There's not really a bad one in the bunch. If you already know you like some of the same music I do, I strongly suggest you find a copy of this disc and get very cozy with it. You'll probably make a new friend. I have. Click on cover art for additional information, song samples, and on-line shopping!