Mindy Smith
One Moment More

(Vanguard)

First Appeared at The Music Box, March 2004, Volume 11, #3

Written by John Metzger

In just a few short years, Mindy Smith has been able to parlay her position as a finalist at the Kerrville Folk Festival’s New Folk Competition into a budding career. The stunning interpretation of Jolene that appeared on Just Because I’m a Woman: The Songs of Dolly Parton marked her recording debut, garnering her the necessary media support to set the stage for her first full-length outing One Moment More. Throughout the album, Smith’s voice is in fine form, effortlessly demonstrating her remarkable range and hearty emotional resonance. There are shades of Lucinda Williams (Hard to Know), Alison Krauss (Falling), and Nickel Creek (Raggedy Ann) scattered throughout the collection’s 11 songs, and consequently, her take on roots-oriented music runs the gamut from edgy rockers to gentle ballads, from gospel-folk to melodic pop. Smith’s biggest weakness, however, is that she sometimes veers too far away from her pastoral gracefulness to deliver the sort of generic, Disney-esque, and American Idol-like fare that fills the latter half of the disc. Indeed, songs like Angel Doves and Down in Flames with their cliched lyrics and drab accompaniments nearly suck the life out of an otherwise strong outing. There’s no question Smith is attempting to appeal to a mass audience, and One Moment More should do just that, although it comes at the expense of what could have been a truly terrific album.

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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