Here's a minor paradox that's bothered me for some time now: why is it that young artists, living in arguably the most exciting and adventurous times of their lives, feel obligated to create work devoted to pain, suffering, loss, and frustration? Is it that horrible lie that "art requires suffering," or the old movie cliché that "the blues ain't nuthin' but a good man feelin' bad?”
Whatever the root, it's a common behavior, leading promising young talents to confuse emotional catharsis with bone-deep insight. I know, I know, there's now a commercially-endorsed genre for this sort of thing, led by such brilliantly superficial emo bands as Dashboard Confessional, but still, I can't see the attraction. Don't any of these people have fun? Does it all have to be Shawn Colvin-esque depression and angst?
The latest example comes in the form of Mindy Smith's freshman release, "One Moment More," eleven tracks fixated on death, loss, and the occasional divine intervention. Ms. Smith's original tunes describe an emotional landscape in which even a potentially moving steel guitar-driven lullaby ("Come to Jesus"), devolves into advice to children about bad times and death. In "Hurricane," she wishes for a powerful storm to clear out the wreckage of a broken relationship, but her whispery voice robs the tune of any emotional power. A similar gap between intention and creation is evident in "Train Song," a poorly conceived effort that casts doubt on her familiarity with real trains, and real country blues. She does achieve some redemption with "Raggedy Ann," an older tune that doesn't tax her limited vocal talent and produces a strong overall effect.
Backed by remarkably accomplished musicians, including acoustic guitar role model Bryan Sutton and steel guitar master Dan Dugmore, Ms. Smith seems satisfied with pretty acoustic arrangements that only rarely give way to more aggressive expressions. It's not a bad formula, as shown in "Angel Doves," but it dominates the disc until the listener's stupor is interrupted by the processed vocals of "Hard to Know," a near-rocker that would be far more convincing if Ms. Smith's tenuous voice could carry the voltage she wrote into the tune. But any revived interest in this collection of earnest, but unsatisfying compositions fades once again as the soporific title track both dulls the senses and closes the CD.
It's too bad, too, because behind all the aural fluff and bad metaphors there's probably a talented songwriter, someone who needs a few years of wood-shedding to properly mature her voice and give some depth to her lyrics. As a bonus track, Ms. Smith's cover of the Dolly Parton classic "Jolene" demonstrates that in the right hands she has the means to perform an ear-catching tune and carry it well. But this release lacks that guidance, and Ms. Smith's debut , far from living up to the promise of its title, leaves us dreading "One Moment More."
