Lucy Kaplansky – Over The Hills

There is a serenity, a stillness, in Lucy Kaplanskys work that almost deflects attention; its a quality that may have contributed to her being overlooked in the AOR/post-folk world of Mary Chapin Carpenter, Shawn Colvin, et al. On her sixth solo outing since 1994, Kaplansky is joined by a core group of string wizards (Larry Campbell, Duke Levine and Stephan Crump) with guest harmonies from pals Richard Shindell, Buddy Miller, Jonatha Brooke and Eliza Gilkyson. The discs ten midtempo cuts are equally divided between originals and covers, the latter highlighted by luminous readings of Roxy Musics More Than This and Ian Tysons classic Someday Soon plus an interesting overhaul of Ring Of Fire. Kaplanskys supple vocals are intimate and engaged, and if nothing here would wake the baby, well, you didnt wanna do that anyway, did ya?