author: Tamara Turner, CD Baby
With soft sincerity echoing the absorbing voice of Karen Carpenter, the hearty, supple songwriting of Anne Murray and the contemporary relevance of Jann Arden, Helen Lewis Moore imparts a hummable, soothing reduction of adult contemporary, light country, soft rock and gentle folk. Her music narrows in on the song within the song, the pulse inside the pulse, giving a simplifed elegance to matters of the heart, yet at the same time, she articulates these exquisitely common sentiments with an intangible detachment, a wistful "so-be-it" feeling that only enhances the sense that beauty cannot be held onto firmly. It isn't unusual to find yourself staring out the window upon hearing her music, gazing aimlessly or taking in the mere shape of one leaf pressing against the glass. Her album, Harold, bypasses discussion on skill and musicianship and all of the nuts and bolts that make the music tick; her music calls for an exploration of the energy that sets it all in motion to begin with. That is not to say that the album is packed with seriousness; Moore gives the same attention to playful, Patsy Cline-loving country tunes which, in the end, gives the album a well-rounded appeal.
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