Like Andrew Calhoun and Dar Williams, Annie Gallup enjoys painting word pictures that suggest the thoughts and emotions that she is trying to express. This poetic and sometimes obtuse tradition is not new to folk music or culture. It is a thread that finds it origin in the beat poets of the fifties and sixties; was picked up by serious conscious raising song writers of the sixties and seventies, and continues through the eighties and nineties as self-awareness. You can look for yourself by listening to Annie.
"For Money" is a powerful indictment of those whose money has allowed them to remove themselves from the world that surrounds them, exploit others, and place themselves in a position of privilege. Gallup conjures warm pastel reminiscences of childhood memories with "Grandma's Best China" - a reflection on the one of those special people who shape our child's eye view of the world.
Just another night spent encountering one of those nameless, faceless members of the opposite sex that drift through one's youthful evenings, that's "Dancing With A Stranger." A small moment of little consequence to either, a meaningless encounter - no gain, no loss, no consequence.
"You Can Run" contains some nice dobro work by Orville Johnson and tasty jew's harp playing by Gordon Frazier. It a good example of how well this album is put together. "Steak and Eggs for Breakfast" is a silly romp that's more fun than expected from Gallup. In "About Freedon," Annie lets loose with a hot driving almost commercial road song that takes some rather interesting twists, finally doubling back on itself.
Selections:
"Cause and Effect" is a first rate project; the kind of album that Nashville or LA would produce if it had the soul to pull it off. It's a feeling person's album; layers of emotion and irony finely sealed within and upon one another like an exquisite piece of laquerware. Get "Cause and Effect" and see for yourself.
To order CAUSE AND EFFECT contact:
1-800-PRIME-CD
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NYC, 10003
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