Celtic Connections: Mary Chapin Carpenter @ Royal Concert Hall

The new songs remain at a high standard.

Article by Paul Greenwood | 10 Feb 2007
Mary Chapin Carpenter has been making very good albums for twenty years, her not exactly unique brand of singer-songwriter fare staying just the right side of country to be accepted well beyond the Nashville hat crowd. So it's a shame that this set features so many tracks from her forthcoming album at the expense of some old favourites. She still has time for a few of the hits from her Come On, Come On album, and the new songs remain at a high standard, with declarations of love and declarations of womanhood at their core. There's also a brush with sensitive US issues without getting overtly political, and her easy stage presence immediately makes her the audience's friend. But she doesn't appear to be in full voice so that, while not quite lacklustre, it's only during a honky-tonk version of 'Shut Up and Kiss Me' that the show really comes alive. [Paul Greenwood]
http://www.marychapincarpenter.com