Gretchen’s Wheel
Fragile State
(self-released)
A strong back beat and sweet harmony vocals in the chorus of a plaintive “Second to Last†opens Nashville singer/songwriter Lindsay Murray’s Gretchen’s Wheel project’s new album, Fragile State. Her new, 11-song release features an ethereal quality to the tunes here, with some solid songwriting from Murray.
Producer Ken Stringfellow and Ira Elliot round out the players here, Stringfellow lending a strong, cutting, single-note lead to open “One More Mile†as Murray offers her Amy Mann sound-alike warble and those killer harmony vocals in a sad chorus.“Why Try†is an echo backbeat of a bleak song, offering a chunkier sound than most of what else is here; it’s a very good tune indeed. Then again we get Stringfellow sailing with a simple, yet effective single-note melody on “No Difference.â€
I love the beat on “The Fourth Wall†that Elliot manages, it’s a halting and very slippery thing under another great lyric about love and loss from Murray. There’s a sameness to the production here, lots of jangly guitar, layered subtle plicks, floaty electric pianos, mining the same subjects in the lyric, but the tunes on Fragile State have swirly, deep layers and Murray sings with conviction, while being smart enough to spin Gretchen’s Wheel with some expert players.
