Sara Watkins, on her own

I'll be honest with you, after my first listen I was this close to writing off Sara Watkins' self titled debut as being a shade too country for me. Luckily for me, I didn't, as I've grown to love the album, which just came out this week. If her name is familiar, it's for good reason. She's performed for nearly two decades with her brother Sam Sean as a vocalist and fiddle player in the immensely popular trio Nickel Creek. After the band said farewell in 2007, Sara set off on her own and got to work recording this album, which as an interesting side note, was produced by Led Zeppelin alum John Paul Jones.

A little warning about the album: it starts off slowly with the heart rending All This Time (and for that matter ends slowly, and come to think of it, the middle is kind of slow, too - in other words, a rainy day listen), a poignantly moving song about letting go of a love lost (which you can listen to below). From there she moves on to an old John Hartford country song, Long Hot Summer Days. And while Watkins' bluegrass roots never stray far from your ear here, she does stretch her repertoire somewhat. As the album progresses you'll come across a few instrumentals (Freiderick and Jefferson), a pair of gospel inflected tunes, Lord Won't You Help Me and Give Me Jesus, and a cover of Tom Waits' Pony.

The beauty of the album really transcends boundaries of genre, which is why my initial reaction proved to be immaterial. Another of its strengths are its lyrics, penned by Sara, which are deep and beautiful, and yet minimally painted with no waste of words or needless repetition. Accompanying them is Sara's skilled fiddle work as well as a slew of guests from the bluegrass world who provide subtle tones of melancholy behind her. Below are the album opener All This Time (one of my favorite tracks from the album) and the album closer When Will You Be. Enjoy the pair and then seek out the middle.

Sara Watkins - All This Time : Sara Watkins

Sara Watkins - Where Will You Be : Sara Watkins

Visit her website, her label Nonesuch Records, and become her friend on MySpace.

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