From Where I Started

The title From Where I Started suggests Sera Cahoone is getting back to her roots with her third solo album, but that isn't precisely true. Cahoone may have shifted labels -- she's moved from Sub Pop to Lady Muleskinner Records -- but she's retained her gift for hushed intimacy. Such subdued surroundings command close listening and, when it's given, From Where I Started reveals a record that's slightly different than what's come before it. Where previous records like the fine Deer Creek Canyon could seem like sketches, From Where I Started feels richly realized even when it contains little more than Cahoone and an acoustic guitar. Not much of the record is quite so spare. With the assistance of co-producer John Morgan Askew, Cahoone brought in a bunch of renowned musicians from the Northwest, including Dave Depper and Rob Burger, to augment her touring band. All involved know how to complement the intimacy of Cahoone's songs, coaxing a little communal stomp out of "Time to Give," camouflaging the heartbreaking tale of "Ladybug" with a confident roll, easing into the softer moments with a sense of grace. Some of these quieter moments can be sad, yet this album isn't depressing: it's hushed and moving, ultimately a comfort. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine