Terri Hendrix – The Ring

The title song from Terri Hendrixs latest album, The Ring, is inspired by a gift her father once gave to her mother. When Terri was a child, whenever an argument flared up between her parents, her father would quietly retire to his workshop and labor into the night. No one knew what he was working on until years later, when he presented his wife with a ring fashioned out of a 1955 half-dollar. Hendrixs father had turned his temper into a symbol of love.

Hendrix confronts the consequences of losing her own temper in Spinning Off and, like her father, makes a thing of beauty out of personal turmoil. Goodbye Charlie Brown mourns the passing of childhood with an engaging chorus surrounded by a simple yet catchy harmonica riff, while Night Wolves sets a mysteriously funky groove to the buzzing thoughts and worries that fill the head on sleepless nights.

With production assistance from Lloyd Maines, Hendrix wraps her intimate observations in a folk-pop sound dominated by bright acoustic guitars and mandolins. She occasionally ventures into other musical territory, such as the bass-heavy bop that winds through I Found The Lions and the jazzy rap of From Another Planet. No matter what style she tackles, however, Hendrixs clear, sparkling voice, relaxed manner and keen eye for detail make The Ring a rewarding musical gift.