Jolie Holland

Jolie Holland made me cry. I was huddled over a listening station at Pure Pop Records this past weekend checking out Holland's latest disc, Springtime Can Kill You, and the horns on Crush in the Ghetto got me. I stood there, tears streaming down my face, dumbfounded. I can barely explain it - the horns we so beautiful and sad, perfectly matching Holland's vintage voice.

Jolie Holland was a founding member of the Vancouver-based all female old-timey bluegrass/blues/folk outfit The Be Good Tanyas, but left after contributing tracks to the group's stellar debut, Blue Horse. While I enjoy The Be Good Tanyas for a breezy summers drive, I appreciate Jolie Holland for the darker more introspective moments. Her solo work is equally beautiful, but in a sadder/smokier way. The Be Good Tanyas are to Vancouver as Jollie Holland is to her native Texas.

Springtime Can Kill You is Holland's second proper release (the first, Catalpa, was a collection of early demos). I have yet to pick up a copy (it was released on Tuesday, but the local shop, Buch Speiler, lived up to their reputation and didn't have a copy on hand), but gauging from what I've heard and the early reviews I've read (Metacritic has it at 87, above Springsteen's great Seeger Sessions, the Arctic Monkeys' debut, and St. Elsewhere by Gnarles Barkley), it'll fulfill my needs when I'm searching for a soundtrack to life's beautiful sadness.

And excitedly, Higher Ground has booked Holland and her "sepia-toned song noir and billowy voice":

Jolie Holland w/ Sean Hayes - July 13 - Higher Ground, S. Burlington

Purchase all of Holland's discs at Insound

Springtime Can Kill You
Jolie Holland - Crazy Dreams.mp3
Jolie Holland - Springtime Can Kill You.mp3

Escondida
Jolie Holland - Old Fashion Morphine.mp3
Jolie Holland - Black Stars.mp3

Catalpa
Jolie Holland - I Wanna Die.mp3
Jolie Holland - Black Hand Blues.mp3