Between Here and Gone - Mary Chapin Carpenter

Always poetic, Mary Chapin Carpenter has released a CD that will work well on country and adult pop stations.

There is something about Mary Chapin Carpenter that has always appealed to my cosmopolitan roots. A native of the Washington, D.C. area, Mary Chapin has always written or recorded smart, lyrical story songs that could be played as easily on adult pop radio as they are on country radio. In fact, “Between Here And Gone” is Mary Chapin’s most “country” album in ages. Produced by Matt Rollings and Mary Chapin, the CD is simply a masterpiece.

Featuring lots of noticeable fiddle, steel and dobro, “What Would You Say To Me” has a sound that should work well on contemporary radio. The simple lyric asks about the games people play when courting each other. The folksy “In My Heaven” is a musical companion to Alice Seabold’s novel “The Lovely Bones.” The title track is an elegant piano driven ballad while “Beautiful Racket” sounds like Mary Chapin circa “Passionate Kisses.” Both “River” and “Elysium” were written about her new husband.

There have been many 9-11 themed songs written and Mary Chapin’s “Grand Central Station” is without a doubt one of the best. It’s not jingoistic like Darryl Worley’s “Have You Forgotten” or as angry as Toby Keith’s song. It simply tells a story of life for someone who works at the dusty site. As her 10th proper release, “Between Here And Gone” is by far Mary Chapin’s best work to date, It is also her first to be recorded in Nashville. Those looking for some beautiful, poetic songs should check it out.