Red Dirt Girl marks the first release from Emmylou Harris since 1995's Wrecking Ball. The question is... was it worth the wait? With almost every track written by Emmylou, this CD seems more personal than previous efforts. Drum machines, echoing, spiraling guitars and Harris' distinctive vocals, give the songs an almost "dream like" feel, taking a much different direction from 1979's Blue Kentucky Girl. Teaming up with Bruce Springsteen and wife Patti Scialfa on "Tragedy", a haunting ballad about lost love, and writing songs with Luscious Jackson's Jill Cunniff. She also sings a duet with Dave Matthews on "My Antonia".
The title track "Red Dirt Girl" recalls "Waitin' for the Alabama sun to go down / Two red dirt girls in a red dirt town". Ethereal imagery surrounds all 12 songs and lends itself to their original sound. On "Bang the Drum Slowly", - a song about her late father (with co-writer Guy Clark) - she writes " I meant to ask you how you lived what you believed / With nothing but your heart up your sleeve / And if you ever really were deceived / By the likes of me". Tapping into her deep emotions, Emmylou Harris has shown renewed inspiration.
Red Dirt Girl marks the first release from Emmylou Harris since 1995's Wrecking Ball. The question is... was it worth the wait? With almost every track written by Emmylou, this CD seems more personal than previous efforts. Drum machines, echoing, spiraling guitars and Harris' distinctive vocals, give the songs an almost "dream like" feel, taking a much different direction from 1979's Blue Kentucky Girl. Teaming up with Bruce Springsteen and wife Patti Scialfa on "Tragedy", a haunting ballad about lost love, and writing songs with Luscious Jackson's Jill Cunniff. She also sings a duet with Dave Matthews on "My Antonia".
