Wishing Chair: Underdog

Wishing Chair Underdog Terrakin 0007

Kiya Heartwood and Miriam Davidson, collectively known as Wishing Chair, score again. They have a lot of important things to say in the dozen Heartwood originals on this CD. Although versatile on a variety of instruments themselves, producer Mark Hallman roped in another nine musicians to give the album variety and texture. It ranges from pop to folk, leaning somewhat more toward a produced sound, with consistently involved performances by Heartwood and Davidson. Not only are the vocals assured, but there's also some great guitar picking by Heartwood and banjo by Davidson. The songs range from the rigors of the road in the opening "One Real Song," to an anti-war Civil War song with a twist, "Sue Mundy," to a proudly defiant song about the wedding of Heartwood and Davidson, "Outlaw Wedding." "Bully Circus" wastes no words about the travesty of our current government. "Adagio" pays homage to Vedran Smailovic, a cellist in the former Sarajevo Opera, as well as Holly Near who told Heartwood the story on which she based the song. Heartwood and Davidson have never sounded tighter or more energetic in their performance. Wishing Chair just keeps getting better.

COPYRIGHT 2006 Sing Out Corporation
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group