meeshling's Full Review: The Honesty Room by Dar Williams
I discovered Dar by accident - a friend of mine had her other just seen her in concert and had her later album, Mortal City and was listening to the same song over and over again. Controlling friend as she was, she made me listen to it - and I was hooked. The song, The Christians and the Pagans remains one of my favorite Dar songs. I ran out and bought Mortal City as soon as I could, and fell in love with all of the songs there, too. And I combed record stores looking for more CDs by this amazing artist.
So Where Does The Honesty Room Fit In?
So I was on a school trip in Boston, with a little extra money, when I walked into a music store and zoomed over the the W's. And what would await me but a DIFFERENT Dar album. I immediately bought it, and as soon as I got back onto the bus, I put it into my CD player, pressed play, and put my head back.
Wow. Just wow.
I listened to the CD over and over and over for the four hour bus ride home, drifting in and out of sleep, but always aware of the amazing music that was floating through the air around me.
Bliss.
So What About The Album?
I've since heard almost all of Dar's albums and many of her songs, and still, The Honesty Room remains my favorite. It was Dar's first album on this record label, and she is at her best folkiness. Her amazing narrative story-like songs are a breathe of fresh air from other singers of the late '90's. My personal favorite songs on this album are "Alleluia", which not only has an addictive chorus and a great tune, but has one of my favorite Dar lines of all times ("God looks like a guidance counselor, God's got that smile, God says 'How could this be? That's really odd. I'll have to check my records, silly me, I know, I'm only God"). "Mark Rothko Song" always brings tears to my eyes. "The Great Unknown" makes me want to sit down and think about everything that is going on in the world today. Every song tells a story, and I want to know all the stories and absorb everything I can from this album. It just makes me want to live.
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