RUTH MOODY – THE GARDEN

Australian-born, Canadian-raised folkie Ruth Moody’s songs nestle somewhere between the removed, Appalachian eeriness of contemporaries Gillian Welch or Marissa Nadler, and the down-to-earth, open-hearted warmth of her native Australian contemporaries. A lonesome banjo picks off the beginning of the title and opening track, the excellent The Garden, where Ruth Moody’s voice floats like a leaf, delicate and thick with soul. This and some of the other tracks on the album sing like a hymn for discovered loneliness, or a plaintive cry for guidance.  But the sometimes uncertain or despairing lyrics, like all good folk music, are hidden among uplifting and inviting melodies. It’s all played with aplomb – when it’s not just Ruth solo with a guitar, she is joined by guest musicians from the backing bands of such figures as Norah Jones, Sarah McLachlan, and The Wailin’ Jennies (for whom Moody’s song One Voice was a major hit).  Moody’s music is such that it requires careful attention to reveal its heart and soul – rising above the dreaded label of the ‘pleasant’, some of the quieter moments – such as the spell-bound lament Valentine, can reveal the most affecting details.

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