Carrie Rodriguez: Give Me All You Got

Carrie Rodriguez
Give Me All You Got
(Ninth Street Opus)
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
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This is Carrie Rodriguez’s fourth studio release since 2006’s debut and her increased confidence as both a songwriter and performer jumps out of the speakers. With a voice that can be sweet and forlorn as on the poignant “Get Back in Love” or tweaked with just enough tartness to make “Cut Me Now” such a darkly moving Lucinda Williams styled breakup ballad, the approach is multi-hued and varied. Her violin skills are world class but play second fiddle—pun intended—to potent songwriting and vocals. Emotional lyrics rooted in letting go of attachments and propping others up are wonderfully communicated with low boil intensity. Old cohort Chip Taylor writes or co-composes a handful of songs including the opening “Devil in Mind” that combines Rodriguez’s Austin rustic roots with the urban influences she has acquired through a decade of living in Brooklyn. Producer Lee Townsend, best known for his association with jazz guitarist Bill Frisell, expertly captures this spirit in relaxed performances with Rodriguez’s road band that were often recorded live in the studio. The result is her finest, most poignant and accomplished album in an already impressive seven year solo career.