Virginia-based, Grammy-winning folk and country artist Mary Chapin Carpenter released her new album, Between Here and Gone, last week. The CD is the seasoned artist's tenth, and the first to showcase new work since Time*Sex*Love in 2001. Between Here and Gone mixes Carpenter's characteristic sound and poetic verse with a more mature outlook, sometimes with excellent results, other times to a slightly monotonous effect.
Carpenter's lyrics have always been deep and profound, earning her the reputation of being one of the best-educated contemporary country singers. While this CD is no exception, some of the political commentary does grow a bit tiresome, becoming distracting at times. For example, "Grand Central Station," an homage to September 11, seems condescendingly cheesy and slightly outdated at this point in time. When she states in "Beautiful Racket," "You do your dreaming in traffic jams / You do your running in shopping malls / You do your breathing the best you can / Between carpools and cell phone calls," the sentiment seems a bit trite. Her tendency to ramble on about upper middle -class social issues like SUVs and soccer moms is irritating, especially since the people she criticizes are the exact market she's targeting with her work.
Frankly, some of Carpenter's slower songs are quite boring, such as "The Shelter of Storms," "Goodnight America," "Between Here and Gone," "One Small Heart," and "My Heaven." This aspect of Carpenter's work is nothing new; most of her albums have presented a mixed bag of stellar folk/country work and easily forgettable slow songs.
While the majority of the songs on this disc aren't anything special, there are a few that make Between Here and Gone worth it. "What Would You Say to Me," "Luna's Gone," "River," and "Elysium" hearken back to some of Carpenter's earlier work. These songs are more upbeat and the rhythms more complex. Some of them have the potential to be hits, especially "What Would You Say to Me," the opening track. Some of her better songs, like "Elysium," are clearly influenced by her recent marriage, and these love songs actually tend to be less corny than her other work.
All in all, Between Here and Gone is a mixed bag, comprised of some high highs and some low lows. Those who haven't heard of Carpenter but are interested in her work would do better to buy one of her earlier CDs in which the social commentary isn't as prevalent. However, for all her die-hard fans out there, if there are any, Between Here and Gone demonstrates that in spite of all the flaws, Mary Chapin Carpenter is still capable of producing quality music, even after 20 years in the business.
Rating: 2.5 Polar Bears (of 4)