REVIEW: Indigo Girls, Come On Now Social (Epic)
- Bob Gajarsky
On the Indigo Girls seventh studio album Come On Now Social, Emily Saliers and Amy Ray show that more than a decade of performing hasn't dulled their musical senses, but instead, made them sharper.
With a diversity much wider than the background from their Georgia base, Come On Now Social covers the American music scene in all its glory. Need proof? Here's some examples:
The eerie and dark "Sister" cover the Julee Cruise / haunted genre, while the harmonious "Peace Tonight", with a surprising complement of horns, works delightfully. First single "Go" and "Trouble" are as rock as Emily and Amy have ever been on record, with both women showing off their electric guitars. And the country-rock sound of "Ozilline" is a quieter, more subdued version of something found on a John Mellencamp record.
And punk? Yup, that's on here too.
"Compromise" gets a helping hand from Luscious Jackson's Kate Schellenbach on drums, and bass from Me'Shell Ndegeocello. Maybe a more powerful voice than Ray's would expose this song to a crowd that has never heard the Indigo Girls before, but we'll see if some band on Epitaph has the foresight to put this on their next album.
Old Indigo Girls fans shouldn't fret, however. The folky "Gone Again" has a timeless feel to it, while "Soon To Be Nothing" gives older Indigo Girls fans a sense of warm familiarity, as it is strife with musical references to their hit, "Power of Two".
Other guests appear with the Girls on some of the tracks, including backing vocals from Joan Osborne and Sheryl Crow. Rather than expect the album to sound just like those artists, however, Saliers and Ray have chosen to expand their musical horizons with the diverse influences of their guests. And, on Come On Now Social, the duo have wildly succeeded.
