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Time will tell, of course, but in The Calling, Carpenter may have her finest moment yet; it also feels like an artistic rebirth.
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If the new album goes farther in advocating a political conscience--"On with the Song" takes jabs at the jingoistic rubes who dissed the Dixie Chicks, while "Why Shouldn't We" insists we'll have worthy heroes in office again one day--it largely invokes the same quiet, warm, and conversational tone as its predecessor.
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Only a singer-songwriter with the force and clarity of Mary Chapin Carpenter could make nihilism sound so cheery.
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Carpenter... us[es] image-rich, airy tunes to sweetly embrace positive persistence in the face of adversity.
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The Calling will test your emotions, making you feel glowing and comfortable, then useless and helpless.
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The album, like so much of her other work, should be on year-end lists nine months from now.
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It is her most authoritative and cogent statement.
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UncutThe Calling finds her in fine voice, nestling somewhere between Shawn Colvin and Helen Reddy. [Apr 2007, p.116]
User score distribution:
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Positive: 9 out of 10
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Mixed: 1 out of 10
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Negative: 0 out of 10
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AllenSMay 8, 2007
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MattD.May 1, 2007
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JohnDApr 28, 2007