Land Of Milk And Honey

With her latest offering Eliza gets more political (as those who saw her on her recent UK dates will be aware her views on the recent Gulf Conflict are not far from those expressed by the Dixie Chicks) but unlike certain other musicians who have gone that route and failed, thankfully she is none the worse for this new direction.From the amazing cover photo from Kosovo (and referred to in the CD title song) to the range of songs covered, all serve to demonstrate that this artiste continues to develop her range in topics covered, lyrics and music. All the cuts show the usual impeccable musicianship seen on her previous Red House CDs using many of the same musicians plus again excellent production from Mark Hallman. While overall the CD is not as high on the personal happiness quotient seen in her last release ("Lost & Found"), it ranges wide and far from the Gulf Conflict and war and terror (Hiway, Tender Mercies and the "lost" Woody Guthrie song Peace Call) through sad songs on other's personal suffering (Dark Side of Town and Ballad of Yvonne Johnson) to personal reaffirmations of what a mature and independent lady thinks ((Not Lonely, Wonderland and Separated).As with all great recordings and performers, a CD that is being played regularly and leaves one eagerly awaiting the next release.

It's not been an easy time to stick your head above the parapet and disagree with the right wing hysteria generated by George W and his cohorts in the USA. Eliza Gilkyson is one of a number of artists who have had the courage to express a different view. Not that Eliza is unused to this position. She's been putting forward radical views and supporting so called unpopular causes through her music and activism for many years. The clarion call for peace is growing louder and the hitherto unpopular stances gaining greater credence. Land of Milk and Honey is a personal and political statement illustrating how her core beliefs impact on all facets of her everyday life. At a time when George W is waging war on Iraq and boosting the campaign funds from the 'haves and the have mores' for his re-election, the Milk has gone sour and the Honey is no longer so sweet.From the very first song, 'Hiway 9', which tackles the real reason behind Bush's invasion of Iraq - O.I.L. - Gilkyson nails her colours to a mast that still has Woody Guthrie's initials deeply carved on it. It's appropriate, therefore, that she has for the first time recorded one of Guthrie's lost songs, the wonderful 'Peace Call'. Written in the early 1950s, its message is timeless. Sharing vocal duties on this track are Mary Chapin Carpenter, Patty Griffin and Iris Dement ' worth the price of the album on its own.As for the rest, there are songs of imperfect love and difficult relationships, like 'Wonderland' and the self explanatory torment of 'Separated'. Gilkyson has the knack of delivering her more personal songs with the careworn voice of someone who has been those people. There are some bleak yet uplifting songs of human experience ' the descent brought about by substance abuse is the theme of 'Dark Side of Town', while the 'Ballad of Yvonne Johnson' is a true-life story of human tragedy brought about by a litany family and cultural abuses ' hard to know how she survived. Incidentally, Johnson co-wrote the song.Gilkyson is supported by a great bunch of musicians, including Mark Hallman, who has done a fine job of producing this brave and compelling album. It's an album that ventures into the territory of subject matter that is not only alarming and distressing but informative. Thank goodness there are artists like Eliza Gilkyson who have the courage to sing and write about these issues in an American climate where dissent is considered unpatriotic and the ghost of Senator Joe McCarthy looms large in Bush's fundamentalist Christian-dominated White House. This album may not be Fahrenheit 9/11 for beginners but it will challenge your assumptions and hopefully persuade you that Eliza Gilkyson is a powerful force with which to be reckoned.

Eliza is one of my all time favourite artists. Her 'Bad times in Babylon' CD (2000 Red HouseRecords) still stands as one of the best albums I have ever heard and so I found this, her new album a little hard to review objectively.She has a voice of pure delight, she coo's into the mic and sweeps you along with her in an album of superb singersong writer soft rock with a slight alt.country feel.The cover of the CD is a photo of a young boy diving into the filty waters of smelting plant waste pool on the Albania/Kosovo border, and that image and the album's title sums up it's humantiarian and socio/political theme.Eliza's song writing is delightful. Her songs are intellegent, apparently effortless expressions of her view of life and despte some of the gutty tales they tell (The Gulf war, child abuse, suicide bombers and general dissolutionment) they never get depressing or selfindulgent; infact she keeps coming back to the beauty and wonder that is life.Musically the album is a sheer joy, the musical skill of her backing band and the general arangment of the songs is faultless. The album ends with 'Peace Call', a previously unrecorded song by Woody Guthrie on which she is joined by her singing 'sisters', Patti Griffin, Mary Chapin-Carpenter and Iris Dement.If I had not heard 'Bad times in Babylon' I would think this was an oustanding album, as it is, I have been spoilt into thinking 'Milk and Honey' is merely a exceptionally great one.

Eliza Gilkyson dares to write songs with an emotional depth that can bring a grown man to tears. This is a beautifully crafted and thoughtful album and her boyish silky voice soars above the arrangements. This is the first time I've bought an album by her and will also check out her more recent material. Highly recommended.

I would recommend this album for 'Wonderland' alone. But the rest is just as consistently good. Buy it, you will like it.