Follow Me Down (Sugar Hill, 2011)
Sarah Jarosz
Reviewed by John Lupton
On her own merits, Jarosz is one of those artists for whom the "Americana" label seems almost to have been invented. The 11 tracks draw from a variety of influences, from old time to Celtic, yet not one of them fits any standard label, and that is perhaps one of the album's fundamental charms. Jarosz has an expressive voice that matches the material (nearly all of it her own originals) in tone and style, without the vocal gymnastics and histrionics usually found in pop music.
On top of it all, she's a quality picker, the best example being her octave mandolin work on Old Smitty. The overall mood is thoughtful and reserved, yet never approaching tedious, pretentious navel-gazing. Purists of whatever stripe will likely find this disc unsatisfying, but for those who don't consider "eclectic" a dirty word, it will be very enjoyable.
CDs by Sarah Jarosz
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