First up is Jordan Rodgers, He gave it a rating of 

It's really a shame that this album had to be released at the end of summer, and an even greater shame that I could not discover it until well into fall. It is, in many ways, a perfect summer record - light, breezy, but with a melodic warmth that reminds one of a summer night with the sun just about to set. Much more than the content, the feel of Laura Veirs' new album is what makes it such a good record.

This is not to say, of course, that the content of these songs is subpar. It's just� unassuming, somehow, or perhaps just not overly concerned with asserting itself. Veirs' lyrics have a way of meshing so completely with the music that they are almost hidden within them - I often found myself singing along to the songs without knowing the content of the lyrics. And truly, the lyrics are for the most part not outstanding; wistful nature imagery is employed repeatedly throughout the album, with lines like "the horizon disappears/like a windswept trail," from the brooding "Secret Someones" and "I want to fly like a scroll unfolding/float to a stone ledge/wait for a moment 'fore spilling/words to a hedge/and going away�" from "Cool Water." It's all really very pleasant, and Veirs' voice has a way of rendering this stuff very nicely, not giving too much personality to them, but avoiding being boring nonetheless. And, there's at least song, the beautiful "Spelunking," that transcends mere pleasantness; the metaphor of a lover plumbing the depths of the caves of the beloved's heart, and the entreaty, "would you light the lamp, dear?" works wonderfully, and we can see that Veirs can be a legitimately great songwriter.

The musical arrangements, however, are the real highlight of the album. There isn't a single song on the album that fails to establish a beautiful melody, assert its own independence, and yet still fit in with the overall feel of the album. Veirs' backing band, the Tortured Souls, is to be commended for this; they know exactly when to back off (the simple strumming of "Spelunking") and when to come forward (the more raucous "Black Gold Blues," featuring a great addition of viola). Little flourishes of instruments beyond the basic guitar-bass-drums setup add a great deal to the arrangements, most especially the viola in "Black Gold Blues" and "Parisian Dream."

All in all, the album's strengths far outweigh its weaknesses. While this isn't one of the best albums of 2005, it's certainly well worth listening to, even if it's not summer anymore.
 

Now we hear from Morley Seaver. He gave this CD a rating of 

This is the sophomore release by Seattle's Laura Veirs. It's a wonderfully soothing set of songs that brings to mind the mid '70s singer-songwriters scene like Seals & Crofts, CSNY, Laura Nyro, etc. Which is not to say that it sounds dated. In fact, in many cuts there are electronic sounds percolating here and there that make it sound anything but.

Veirs has a straight-forward style that is easy on the ears but earnest enough that you actually listen. She has a band on here but they exist in subtle colours around the edges. Often, you only notice them in the breaks between vocals. The opener "Fire Snakes" is a great song nicely augmented by the viola and keyboards. 

The album's best cut, "Galaxies" is powered by a restrained electric guitar. The verses are great, only beaten by the chorus. "Secret Someones" turns up the pace at just the right time, again with a great chorus. "Rialto" is in Lisa Loeb territory without sounding so wistful or vulnerable. 

"Cool Water" is another excellent song with some fitting piano parts. "Black Gold Blue" is a bit jarring at first, but after several listens it falls into line. The rest of the cuts are all up to the task. There is not one song on here that was tossed on to round out the project, as with some pop (most) acts. 

Tagteam: Laura Veirs - Year of Meteors

Label:Nonesuch Records

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