Humming By the Flowered Vine

1	14th Street 3:16
2	What You Said 2:52
3	And Still 3:57
4	Khaki & Corduroy 4:27
5	Letters 4:51
6	California Rose 2:52
7	Wishful Thinking 2:52
8	Poor Ellen Smith 3:59
9	Bees 4:10
10	Old Downtown 6:12

Barnes & Noble

Laura Cantrell's first two albums demonstrated her skill and knowledge of old-time country and folk music, nodding toward Kitty Wells, Don Gibson, and the Carter Family. On Humming by the Flowered Vine, Cantrell steps away slightly from the twangy, finger-pickin' side of country and eases toward a rootsy pop vibe. Not that she's forsaken the honky-tonks: the toe-tapping "California Rose" and the pedal steel–drenched "Wishful Thinking" showcase Cantrell's clear, guileless soprano, and her cover of the traditional "Poor Ellen Smith" is a mandolin- and fiddle-fueled joy. The album opens with the rolling "14th Street," a comely love song written by Emily Spray that builds to include swooning background vocals and reverberating electric guitars; it's an easygoing, layered pop tune, and a highlight. Lucinda Williams's "Letters" contrasts swampy guitars with Cantrell's pure voice; it's a dark, earthy arrangement, and Cantrell sings with a wistful desperation. Cantrell hosts an acclaimed radio show (Radio Thrift Shop on WFMU), and she's adept at unearthing songs to cover --Humming also includes songs from Dave Schramm, Jenifer Jackson, and Wynn Stewart -- but she's an excellent songwriter herself, and "Bees" and "Khaki & Corduroy" are two of her best ballads. No surprise, then, that with its varied arrangements and Cantrell's consistently tender vocals, Humming by the Flowered Vine is her best album yet. Steve Klinge

All Music Guide

Laura Cantrell knows and loves good music too well to be a purist, and while her first two albums, Not the Tremblin' Kind and When the Roses Bloom Again, were firmly grounded in her great fondness for country music, she expands her boundaries a bit on her third set (and first for Matador), Humming By the Flowered Vine. While the feel of Humming By the Flowered Vine isn't radically different than her previous work, the sound and arrangements offer some new wrinkles, with producer J.D. Foster and a superb cast of musicians edging Cantrell into an inventive pop direction. The pensive love song "14th Street," a strong but sorrowful reading of "And Still," and the rare Lucinda Williams composition "Letters" all speak of a riskier musical mindset than Cantrell has allowed herself in the past, and the results are beautifully expressive and gracefully executed while quietly bearing a considerable musical weight. Fans of Cantrell's more traditionally oriented work need not fret, as her lovely covers of "Wishful Thinking" and "Poor Ellen Smith" confirm she still has a superb command of classic country styles, and her voice has lost none of its lovely clarity while revealing an even greater emotional force on these sessions. And while Cantrell is a marvelous interpretive songwriter with nearly faultless taste, her originals rank with the album's finest material; "Khaki & Corduroy," "Old Downtown," and "Bees" are all crafted with the wisdom and care of a fine short story. Humming By the Flowered Vine is an album that's a joy to listen to without sounding simple or hollow, and resonates with an evocative beauty comprised of both compassion and intellect; this music easily raises the bar for this gifted artist. Mark Deming

Entertainment Weekly

With a voice reminiscent of Alison Krauss and melodies much the same, [Cantrell] was born for this stuff. (A-) Yancey Strickler