Vivian Linden: Watch the Light Fade

Backed by a seasoned horde of Seattle musicians, Vivian Linden paints a dark, dreary backdrop on several of these songs so she can draw you in with her voice. And what a voice, one that sounds like a cross between Kathleen Edwards and Emmylou Harris, particularly on the stripped-down “Pass The Wires” as she sings about this life being unkind to her. Hers is a style that is definitely steeped in old-time country formats, especially with the pretty and poignant “I Fall To You”, and the slightly faster pace of “Bewitched”, that is a moody offering in the vein of Lucinda Williams. You will savor every minute of the tender, bittersweet and adorable “Breathless” that creeps along. Listeners might be put off by the fact that Linden opts to stay the course and offer up slightly different variations on what is essentially the same structure, but it’s done so damn well with gems like the haunting “Silver Light” and the equally stunning, dark and murky “Oh, My Lover”, that it’s not really up for debate. Fans of Grey Delisle would do themselves a great service picking this one up as Linden never lets up once on the record. Another highlight is the dirge “Going Back To Houston”, that moves at a snail’s pace. Hopefully, the lights won’t fade on this fine artist anytime soon!