The Power of a Whisper
bethtexas | United States | 01/27/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is one of those albums someone has to tell you about so you won't miss it. Erica Wheeler has a whispery voice that's sort of plain and haunting. Every song is understated... folk music so gentle it's eerie. It sticks to your ribs, so to speak. These are songs you just don't forget. Especially not with the whispery, soulful way she sings them.This is my favorite of her albums. Amanda Crazy Wolf is one of the most unforgettable folk ballads I have ever heard. It's a song about a mother and daughter. Sung from the daughter's point of view, it's an absolutely breathtaking account of a young woman's feelings about having a mother who was glamorously eccentric and yet ... an irresponsible mother. The song just moves on and on in whispers, summoning up deep feelings withing your breast, and if you listen closely and often ... it WILL bring you to tears."I Know You Rider" is a gently swaying tribute to the kind of friendship/romantic relationship in which both people retain their independence ... sometimes parting ways ... sometimes coming together again. Its simplicity and truth are haunting."Car With No Brakes" is a harder-hitting song about the shared warmth and the limitations of dating someone who has serious problems ... but whom you love nonetheless.This album is a must-have for people who like to be haunted, spoken to, and emotionally stroked through the vehicle of gentle folk music."