Kim Richey
The Collection

(Lost Highway)

First Appeared in The Music Box, October 2004, Volume 11, #10

Written by T.J. Simon

The Collection is a compilation of material drawn from Kim Richey’s four albums, and it succeeds both as a career retrospective from a gifted singer-songwriter and as a medium to capture her growth as an artist. The tunes plucked from her 1995 self-titled debut find Richey steeped in gentle coffeehouse folk (Can’t Find the Words) and mainstream country (Just My Luck), but by the time the chronological package captures music from her stunning 2002 effort Rise, her skill had matured considerably, placing her songs within the same ballpark as those by Lucinda Williams, Kathleen Edwards, or Aimee Mann. This is particularly evident on the cuts Girl in a Car and No Judges. The disc also contains two previously-unreleased tracks Break You Down, co-written with Chuck Prophet, and Electric Green, a live acoustic duet with Pete Droge. Overall, The Collection is a fitting testament to Richey’s vision and will serve to make the listener crave some new material from this underappreciated talent.

The Collection is available from Barnes & Noble.
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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 © 2004 The Music Box