Indigo Girls
Come On Now Social

(Sony/Epic)

First Appeared at The Music Box, April 2000, Volume 7, #4

Written by John Metzger

With its seventh album Come On Now Social, the Indigo Girls continues its movement away from its early folk beginnings towards all-out rock 'n‘ roll.  Augmented by Sinead O'Connor's band, the duo pushes songs like Go with a raging, Neil Young-like fury. This song opens the album by combining the torrential onslaught of electric guitar with a pulsating bass line that forcefully demands attention. Once caught in the maelstrom, the group shifts gears into the track's transcendent, uplifting bridge, as if it was urging its fans to break the chains holding them in place.

It's a shocking beginning, indeed, especially for those who haven't kept pace with the Indigo Girls over the course of its career. Those who checked out after its debut will no doubt be left standing with mouths agape, wondering if this could possibly be the same duo that delivered Closer to Fine.

Have no fear, because the Indigo Girls does return to its folk roots from time to time throughout Come On Now Social. Songs like the moving Soon Be to Nothing, the Band-inspired Gone Again (with guests Garth Hudson on accordion and Rick Danko on bass), and the devilishly haunting Sister all draw from the music of the duo's past and showcase their glorious harmonies.

Herein lies the problem: Too often the Indigo Girls are satisfied simply with revisiting places that it already has been. Yes, it's true that at times throughout Come On Now Social, the duo does continue to push their songwriting into some new musical directions. It's also true that once again they excel at creating well-written lyrics that actually say something. Yet, from a group that has pushed the boundaries of its music further and further which each album it has released, Come On Now Social just doesn't go far enough.

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Ratings

1 Star:   Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!

Copyright © 2000 The Music Box