- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
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What sounded austere on Fan Dance sounds simple on A Boot and a Shoe, and it's the differing inferences of those two adjectives that makes all the difference.
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A disc of graceful beauty.
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The great beauty of the record, though, is how repeated listenings peel back once-unheard layers, how Phillips voice develops a deeper resonance with each spin, and how the deceptive simplicity of the recording gradually fades to reveal carefully scripted movements and moments.
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Entertainment WeeklyPhillips flirts with Depression-era stylings and pre-World War II cabaret to brilliantly convey a chaotic world of subdued rage. [7 May 2004, p.86]
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With deft, powerful strokes, the singer-songwriter chisels emotions, impressions, yearnings and regrets, giving these 13 songs exactly as much room as they need and no more.
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MojoThe longer the album runs the more engaging the songs seem to become. [May 2004, p.104]
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Q MagazineSmall, perfectly formed and wonderfully refreshing. [Jun 2004, p.105]
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There are hints of blues and gospel, but most of the songs could come from a rustic cabaret that is worried about waking the neighbors.
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UncutUnderstated and underestimated. [Nov 2004, p.113]
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 13 out of 15
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Mixed: 1 out of 15
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Negative: 1 out of 15
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CareyCJun 18, 2006Sam's best album, each listen reveals something new and unexpected.
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PeeweeApr 18, 2005A masterpiece. One of the most underrated artists in American music, and this is her best album. Probably my favourite album of 2004.
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SneedyMApr 10, 2005