Caroline Herring Twilight Blue Corn Music by Scott Snidow

There are times when I wonder why I do this music review thing. Beating my brains out to meet some self-imposed deadline. Making a nervous wreck of myself as I search for the perfect words to describe to readers what it is that I am hearing. And for what? No pay. Long hours. Little reward of any kind. Sure, I know, it is all about the music. That is the one thing we all have in common here in Rockzillaworld, reader and writer alike. We are all music fans. And trust me, no one out there is a bigger music fan than yours truly. Ever since at the tender age of four when I heard the Beatles singing "Love Me Do," music has been an integral part of my life. But still there are times I question why I continue to drive myself to write these reviews. Then I get my answer. Out of nowhere comes something I would otherwise never hear, and it affects me with such profound magnitude that all doubt is suddenly erased, and with crystal clarity I know why I continue doing this thing we all do at Rockzillaworld. Caroline Herring's latest CD, Twilight, provided me with one of these epiphanies. It has been ages since an album of any sort touched me to the very fiber of my being the way this album did. Poignant, beautiful, stirring, and breath taking are all adjectives that spring to mind when I listen to Herring's music. Her voice alone is worth the listen. It wouldn't matter if she were singing "Shall We Gather At The River," the "Star Spangled Banner," or something as corny as a remake of "Sugar, Sugar," Herring's magnificent voice would certainly make any song worth the listening time and appeal to even the most primitive listener. More amazing is the fact that the hypnotic power of her voice is equaled by the lyrical and musical content on this album. Twilight is a truly stellar collection of songs by a standout singer-songwriter. So if the music of Caroline Herring is so exceptional, why haven't you heard of her or caught her music on the local radio stations? Excellent question. One that I don't have the answer for. What I can tell you is that this is good country music, pure, fresh, as earthy as that black sod on the back forty. It flows forth as freely from Herring as the Mississippi rushing to meet the Gulf of Mexico. This is everything that is good and right about the Americana music movement that has been sweeping the nation over the last few years. This is music with content, plain and simple. On Twilight, Herring has assembled eleven tracks that show she contains the elements that make for a legendary songwriter, a sense of lyrical imagery coupled with innate musical and compositional style. Just one listen to the opening strains of "Mississippi Snow" and you will be hooked. If not, then maybe you need to check your pulse. In this autobiographical track Herring calls upon her own youth in Canton, MS as the framework, and the abundance of cotton fields throughout her birth state as the source for the title. This song, as with every song on this album, is as southern as Jack Daniel's, pecan pie, and dogwoods in bloom. Writing in a style that would make Faulkner proud, Herring draws upon the rich tapestry of her southern heritage as the basis for all the songs on Twilight. Now I know that my responsibilities as a reporter normally require me to mention the incredible job that producer John Inmon did in bringing Herring's musical vision to fruition, or the fact that they assembled one hell of a cast of musicians for this project that include Lloyd Maines, Paul Pearcy, Peter Rowan and Jeff Plankenhorn. I know that I should also mention that Herring has already won the recognition of such Texas artists as Ray Wylie Hubbard, Tish Hinojosa, and Buddy and Julie Miller. But the simple fact is Ms. Herring's music speaks for itself. Whether she is performing bluegrass or a touch of gospel or a good old country ballad, this is the real deal. Pure and simple, and as driven as the Mississippi snow. You can learn more about Caroline Herring, find out where she will be playing, or purchase Twilight by surfing on over to www.carolineherring.com. You can also sample some tracks by this incredible new talent at www.bluecornmusic.com. You can contact Scott Snidow at: scott-at-rockzilla.net

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