Dawn Landes - Sweet Heart Rodeo (2008)

Tracklist:

01. Young Girl 2:54
02. Romeo 3:02
03. Money in the Bank 3:19
04. Love 3:00
05. Sweetheart of the Rodeo 2:33
06. Clown 2:27
07. Wandering Eye 3:58
08. Little Miss Holiday 3:14
09. Dance Area 2:23
10. Brighton 3:36
11. All Dressed in White 1:40

[quote]The album's title is a direct reference to the story of her great-grandmother, whose lover left her to go and perform in rodeos. The album was recorded in Brooklyn at Landes's own studio, Saltlands.

A native of Kentucky, Dawn Landes masterfully blends her Southern roots with a refined New York indie sound. "Sweet Heart Rodeo" is an eclectic, inventive, and slightly eccentric record. Each of the 11 songs represents a separate story of love, melancholy, or self-discovery.

Since Dawn is a professional sound engineer herself (she trained at studios in New York and Paris), the album stands out for its exquisitely subtle, detailed, and clean production. Alongside the familiar acoustic guitars and banjos, French horns, harmonica, vintage transistor organs, cello, and even drum machines unexpectedly appear. Landes herself delivers the material with a soft, soaring, dreamy vocal that critics have often compared to the style of Cat Power and Liz Phair.[/center]