PIETA BROWN —SHIMMER (Red House)

[Maurice Hope]

www.redhouserecords.com
www.pietabrown.com
Produced by Don Was (Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson etc) Shimmer is a seven-track collection of stripped demos by Pieta Brown. The daughter of famed Iowa singer-songwriter, Greg Brown who too is with Red House Pieta has inherited much of her father’s talent. Beautifully presented, with Bo Ramsey electric guitar (slide) and harmony vocals and Don Was (acoustic bass) support to her own acoustic guitar the spare empowered feel of emotion cuts to the heart. Often tortured and crying out for support she makes music akin to Shawn Colvin at her best. Pure and wistful it is framed by minimalist backing as she carves out a niche in one’s heart like a boy with a bone handled knife letters on a big oak. If Brown is never to make another record the listener can have few complaints, because this EP has an endless list of unique values worthy of citation as one song betters the last.

Quoted by Iris DeMent as ‘the best poet I’ve heard in a long damn time’ and said to have ‘major star power magnetism’ by Don Was I could not agree more. For Brown is a precious talent as she transcends boundaries with her music, and has the uncanny knack of probing beneath the surface to prise open cracks in the mind of the listener for her music to lodge.

Among the highlights we have the yearning ‘I Know A Girl’ and ‘Hey Joey’ aided by a less troubled ‘You’re My Lover’ and country leaning ‘Lovin’ You Still’. Brown a self-styled folk poet reaches her creative peak with a string of wistful self-penned compositions. Such is the young lady’s outpouring of hurt and personal heartache the consumption of alcohol is set to double in many households when her music is played. I am talking about such descriptive, heart-tugging tunes as ‘Diamonds In The Sky’.

Now, Pietra, let us have an entire album of music like that found on Shimmer and please let it be soon. In the mean time be sure to check-out her back catalogue.
Maurice Hope

Pietra is featured on track 1 from Red House Records player

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