One More Moment - Mindy Smith

...singing along with after only one listen through.

"Raggedy Ann" goes back to more traditional roots fare, although her strong and distinctive voice continues to shine. Since it's a ballad it's obviously slower-paced but doesn't suffer at all - Mindy is equally at home with this tempo and the faster-paced songs.

And my personal favourite track on the album? "It's Amazing", the title of which describes ...
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Whilst there are one or two slightly weaker songs on the album, they don't necessarily detract from the whole - and as a debut, this release can't really be faulted. If you're a fan of acoustic, Americana, alt-country or all three, you're seriously missing out if you don't have this in your collection.

Check out also the cover of Dolly Parton's "Jolene" - and the CD-ROM on the CD, which features the video to this ... more

No doubt Mindy Smith will be unknown to virtually everyone reading this review, but if you've reached this far, you're clearly interested in listening to music that, while not necessarily mainstream, is just as good and if not better than much of the million-sellers presently charting.

I 'discovered' Mindy's music (like many of the artists whose music I have fell in love with recently) via both the Bob Harris Thursday Show and Saturday Show on Radio 2 in the UK - he plays plenty of tracks by artists that have yet to breakthrough into the UK consciousness. Back in April 2004, "Come To Jesus" was played as a prelude to the release of an album called "One Moment More" by an unknown American singer-songwriter called Mindy Smith. My first reaction was "wow!", my second was to hit the Internet and find out a little more about her.

This album was released in November 2004 and sounds as good today as it did when I acquired it back then. It's not surprising to learn that Mindy was adopted by a pastor and his wife - she's obviously grown up with religion making up a big part of her life and that is echoed through her music, but not so as to hit you, the dear listener, over the head with it.

"Come to Jesus" is the first track on the album and possibly the best known of her material - it's had at least five airings on Bob's shows to date which is pretty good for a relatively obscure artist. Her music is a fusion of various styles - country, Americana, traditional roots and bluegrass, mixed up and occasionally given a more rock-influenced tinge - which is why you'll find this album and others like it given the 'alt-country' label in many places. "Come to Jesus" works in many ways: it kicks off slowly with just an acoustic guitar and Mindy's clear, crystal and almost breathy vocals. The song ramps up a little and benefits from a much more rock-influenced mid-section, making it worthwhile as an ordinary song or as a Christian anthem - you don't need to be seeking religion to enjoy this song.

Examples of some of the other songs on the album:

"Falling" is a prime example of just why Mindy should be more successful than she is - understated backing gives her gorgeous vocals prominence here, they're beautifully sung with just a simple accompaniment that adds rather than tries to compete with her. An immediately accessible song that you'll end up singing along with after only one listen through.

"Raggedy Ann" goes back to more traditional roots fare, although her strong and distinctive voice continues to shine. Since it's a ballad it's obviously slower-paced but doesn't suffer at all - Mindy is equally at home with this tempo and the faster-paced songs.

And my personal favourite track on the album? "It's Amazing", the title of which describes the song down to a 'T'. Almost angelic vocals, simple yet wholeheartedly lyrics, a very catchy chorus that sucks you in straight away and simple yet effective backing - what more do you want?

Whilst there are one or two slightly weaker songs on the album, they don't necessarily detract from the whole - and as a debut, this release can't really be faulted. If you're a fan of acoustic, Americana, alt-country or all three, you're seriously missing out if you don't have this in your collection.

Check out also the cover of Dolly Parton's "Jolene" - and the CD-ROM on the CD, which features the video to this track, complete with cameo appearance from Dolly. The CD-ROM also has a screensaver and photos of Mindy.

Mindy's second album has already been released and is called "Long Island Shores" - I haven't heard it yet but if it's half as good as her debut, it will be worth buying. 

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