While listening to the latest Indigo Girls CD, many long-time fans of Emily Saliers and Amy Ray may find themselves asking, "Are we better off for all that we let in?"
On All That We Let In, the Indigo Girls experiment with new instruments and vocalization, including solo performances from Ray, but the new sounds may make a lot of fans look back nostalgically on the group's original and by now classic songs. Although numbers like "Cordova" and "Dairy Queen" provide new instrumental and vocal performances, they just don't come close to capturing the harmony characteristic of the Indigo Girls' most beloved songs like "Galileo," "Closer to Fine," or "Power of Two."
When the Indigo Girls stick to what they're best at-that is, the beautiful harmony of their intertwining voices and simple instrumental accompaniment-fans will remember what made them fall for the Girls in the first place. One of the strongest songs on the album, and the one that listeners will probably play over and over again, is "Fill It Up Again," the first song on the disc. Its upbeat rhythm and references to pressing environmental issues ("You've been the hole in my sky, my shrinking water supply") combine to create an irresistible song.
"Perfect World" combines enough "new" sound to make it unique, but at the same time still keeps the focus on Ray and Saliers's harmonization. The pretty and piercing lyrics, written by Ray, include "If you can't see beyond the myth of isolation / And the miracle of daybreak doesn't move you anymore / Connect the points and see the constellations / As the night comes down on the reservoir" and "We are talking, we are driving / And in this moment we are denying / What it costs, what it takes / For one perfect world / When we look the other way."
Saliers, who has played a variety of instruments on past albums, tries her hand at the high-string guitar and mandolin. Her versatility and talent at playing a wide range of stringed instruments is impressive, but in the end, nothing compares to when the Indigo Girls are just harmonizing with the pure sound of a simple guitar. "Tether" is perhaps the best example of a song on the album that relies too heavily on the addition of instruments and less on vocal harmony; the song begins with a long organ introduction that's somewhat drawn out and disappointing.
It's nice to see that Saliers and Ray are willing to experiment and try new techniques, but reassuring to see that they are still willing to go back to what's always worked for them. There is definitely a lot of variety on the CD, with songs ranging from the sweet and poignant "All That We Let In" with lyrics like "You see those crosses on the side of the road / Or tied with ribbons in the median / They make me grateful I can go this mile / Lay me down at night and wake me up again" to songs like "Rise Up," which Saliers herself has characterized as having Elton John-like qualities to it.
For new listeners, the CD will definitely give a unique impression of the Indigo Girls. If new listeners enjoy "All That We Let In" and "Fill It Up Again," older albums like Swamp Ophelia or Rites of Passage may be worth investigating. As for stalwart Indigo Girls fans, the latest album will at least provide a few more songs to add to the collection of played and replayed favorites.
Rating: 2.5 Polar Bears (of 4)