Editorial Reviews

There are a whole lot of women who make acoustic music, so the best Putumayo could hope for, on this seemingly random collection, is that the 11 chosen tracks somehow manage to cohere. They do, despite the geographical range: the artists traverse the globe from the Czech Republic (Marta Topferova) to Algeria (Mona) to Canada (the Wailin' Jennys). Although they all perform acoustically, that should not necessarily be construed as meaning that these performances are all subdued or timid. Cape Verde's Lura may not have the experienced, weather-beaten voice of her country's legendary Césaria Évora, but her contribution, "Bida Mariadu," is exhilarating in its lushness. Greece's Anastasia Moutsatsou also delivers a fiery performance with her "Ola Ta Aiskola" and Tamara Obrovac, from Croatia, renders her sensual "Tuca' La Louna" with a dramatic flair. Some tracks do play it cool: Emiliana Torrini, claiming both Icelandic and Italian heritage, is best known as the vocalist behind "Gollum's Song" from the film Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Accompanied by a lone guitar, she prefers a breathy, tender approach for "Sunnyroad." The Wailin' Jennys, too, keep it simple, allowing their close harmonies to do most of the heavy work on "One Voice," the album's fine closer, a symbolic statement whether it intends to be or not. Jeff Tamarkin, All Music Guide

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