There's nothing like settling in on a chilly night with a mug of tea and snuggling up under a warm quilt; if you don't have a quilt, however, or it's too warm and you're just looking for the aural equivalent, you might want to pick up Jane Fallon's new CD. 
The New Hampshire singer-songwriter has created a lovely patchwork of music on Gemini Rising in a Patchwork Sky, a collection of songs that stitches itself together note by note and warms the soul. 
Fallon tries out a variety of styles on Gemini Rising, all filtered through her gentle folk sensibility and her warm, welcoming voice. Fallon's work shines brightest when it allows her wit and natural storytelling ability to show through, as on the stellar opening track, "Give Me Grace," the tale of a hardscrabble life and the man who lived it, and his prayers to heaven for a little grace to get him through. The swinging "Money's Gone Blues" is immense fun, stacked with one great line on top of another ("See that car out in my driveway? / It could not turn over if its name was 'Apple' "). "Battles" takes the concept of thinking globally and acting locally to its best, most logical extension. "Blue Dress" is a sweet story-song about lovers and unkept secrets. 
The CD closes on two very different, very strong songs. First is the gentle, musing title track, a mediation on the zodiac that manages to be informative, self-effacing and compelling all at once -- it drew me in and I have little or no regard for horoscopes, so that should tell you something right there. And the final song, the slow, smoldering, bluesy "Heaven Can't Help You," is a dark cautionary tale, a lament that takes the familiar tropes of the blues -- sacrifice, hard times, money disappearing -- and if not makes them new, then at least shines them up to a fine glow. The final verse takes those tropes and turns them outward, ending not on another chorus of "heaven can't help you," but of "heaven better help us." And despair becomes prayer, just as it did in "Give Me Grace" ... and the circle closes. It's a nice little touch that the album starts and ends with similar sentiments, almost like the repeated pattern of a well-made quilt. 
Fallon is ably assisted by her backup musicians, especially multi-instrumentalist Jim Henry and harmony vocalist Mally Smith -- and Fallon's production work, assisted by Henry and Jeff Root -- is exemplary. The instruments are all crisp and clear in the mix, and Fallon's voice is front and center. She does good work all around, and it pays off for her. If you like good folk music, it'll pay off for you, too.
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Her mix of gentle humor, intelligence and deep musicality imbues her songs with an artfulness that is unusual. . . . she is an adept story-teller and crafter of songs. Gemini Rising In A Patchwork Sky requires careful, attentive listening, as Fallon's greatest gift as a songwriter is in the details. Each song here plays as if it has been perfected through mercurial craftsmanship and care. This effect is accomplished without making the songs sound overwrought, which is a surprise, but Fallon's eye for detail is unquestionable. Spend some time with Fallon and Gemini Rising In A Patchwork Sky. You won't be disappointed.
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“Jane Fallon has the voice of angel. I mean it. This gal can really sing. Can you remember when you were a kid and you would hear a lullaby being sung over the radio or on a record? The voice was so soothing, beautiful and sweet. That’s Jane Fallon. I can guarantee that if you walked by a club or coffeehouse where Jane was singing, you would be compelled to walk in and listen. Her gift is that powerful.

On her new CD Gemini Rising . . . the Southern NH native offers gorgeous prose delivered by that beautiful voice. She’s mesmerizing, methodical and musical . . . Enjoy every offering on Gemini Rising but make sure you don’t miss album highlights like the swanky sass of “Money’s Gone Blues,” the back porch country bounce of “Battles” and the old timey appeal of “Blue Dress.”
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