Heart of a Woman

On her previous album, Julie Powell had showed her interest for hymns and spirituals in an unusual way, weaving it through a cycle of contemporary art songs on poems by Anne Sexton. Heart of a Woman is a totally different affair, an album of quiet country ballads alternating with heartfelt renditions of spirituals. The whole album clocks in at only 33 minutes, but each track is a gem of songwriting understatement and tasteful restraint. Powell's voice belongs to a lover or a mother, not a diva. It has credibility, honesty, and a lot of charm. Guitarists Colin Bragg and Neal Fountain back her up along with drummer Jeff Reilly and Dromedary's Andrew Reissiger on charango. The tempi are languorously slow, the guitars sparse and smoky. After a short free-form intro, "Over My Head" kicks things off very strongly. It occupies the same spot on Like Being Found, the debut album by Powell's country-rock group, Riveter. Here it is given an even smoother rendition that leaves its catchy melody intact. The other highlight is the title track — if there were any justice in radio land, it would establish her as a heartbreaker of a singer. The spirituals "In the Garden," "Were You There" (sung a cappella), and "Weepin' Mary" hold few surprises. The latter is simply gripping, the singer sticking to a low register for extra subdued intensity. ~ François Couture, Rovi