TRAILER BRIDE
Hope Is a Thing With Feathers (Bloodshot Records)
Reviewed by Holly Day

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There's something so perfect and Christmasey about getting something like this album in the mail, so completely unexpected and wonderful, especially when you get burned by so many lumps of coal packaged similarly again and again. Trailer Bride is just wonderful and sad and beautiful, with lonesome-sounding guitars and string arrangements that sound deceptively simple but are put together just right. Lead singer Melissa Swingle sings in such a strange, powerful way - her voice comes across as pissed off and resigned and tragically beautiful all at once, like someone who's putting on a good, strong front, but is secretly scared and trembling inside. I don't know what you'd call this - I guess it's kind of rootsy, kind of country, but it doesn't really fall under either of those genres well. It must just drive the record store clerks crazy trying to figure out how to file this stuff.

© 2004 - Holly Day