Picture the scene if you will. You’re watching some godawful Dawson’s Creek style teen drama and the main players are sitting broken hearted, staring wistfully out into the night. A song comes on that perfectly captures said moment and you think to yourself, what is that beautiful song in an otherwise ugly setting? Chances are, it’s Texan singer Jolie Holland, as her fourth album The Living And The Dead is bursting at the seems with tracks like these. The founding member of the Be Good Tanyas’ solo material actually betters the music she creates in her day job and whether it’s the hushed, husky tones of ‘Corrido Por Buddy’ or the Billie Holiday-gone-Appalachian stylings of ‘Your Big Hands,’ it’s a pretty special album from start to finish. Fans of Cat Power and Jenny Lewis will lap this up and even if you just enjoy having a little weep into your pillow at night you’ll probably adore this too.
Key Track: ‘Your Big Hands’