You might think that Americana is a boys' club. Let singer/songwriter Jane Gillman (http://www.janegillman.com) change your mind. A little less twangy than her male counterparts, Gillman nevertheless offers a refreshingly feminine touch to the testosterone-ridden roots-rock movement.
While I am tempted to compare her to Maria McKee, who led Lone Justice into the heart of alternative country, Gillman has a light, sweet voice that actually recalls Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac. Like most artists in this genre, Gillman's focus is in playing it safe, sticking to tradition; the arrangements are free from clutter, and most of the tracks are propelled by warm, jangling guitars with added spice from violins, harmonicas, and even keyboards.
Listeners who are looking for something sonically challenging will probably not be pumped by the material here, but their snobbishness will again be their loss. Gillman's songs are attractive because of their simple charms. "Madonna of the Trail" and "My Impatient Heart" are catchy, melodic pop songs with a country flavor. However, keep in mind that I'm not talking about the latest Nashville country, all slick, shallow, and prepackaged. No, these tunes are founded on real emotions.
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Gillman writes like a poet. "I’ve been wearing a long face/Feeling wrong and out of place/Trying to find some higher ground/But this dark cloud keeps coming down," Gillman sings on "Angel of Dreams." Whether it's about finding or losing love, there always seem to be a shadow of melancholy looming over, making these pleasant tunes much heavier than you think of them on the surface.
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