Shimmer

Shimmer is Pieta Brown’s stark and introspective follow-up to her 2007 breakthrough release, Remember the Sun. It’s mostly just Brown and her acoustic guitar on these seven songs, with a little bass and electric guitar going a long way on “Lovin’ You Still,” “Over You,” and “You’re My Lover Now.” The intimate and sparse recording, handled by veteran producer Don Was, emphasizes Brown’s slow and sweet Midwestern drawl, as well as her lyrical grace. Completed in just two days, this unadorned and spontaneous recording approach works well here, allowing Brown’s engaging stories to unfold slowly and naturally. Shimmer is so stripped down that at times Brown seems to be is sitting in the same room singing directly to the listener. It may surprise that she chose to release an EP for her Red House Records debut (the label co-founded by her father, Greg Brown) but that’s merely a quibble — it’s brief but it’s still a gem. Sometimes the simplest and most direct route is the best.