Holly Palmer-Holly Palmer (folky singer-songwriter, 1996 debut album)

Holly Palmer's debut album reveals a singer/songwriter who refuses to be moulded into another folk singer looking to ride the Lilith wave to stardom. Sure, she has the contemplative and poetic lyrics that put in her in the same category as the Victoria Williams' of the musical landscape. However, this album goes beyond great songwriting and gives us something we rarely hear these days: great songs. The groove of "Lickerish Man" and the jazz inflected intro to "Come Lie With Me" make this an album that goes well with a quiet glass of wine or a convertible cruising down the highway on a warm summer afternoon. It's the rarest of albums in today's music: a cd that can stay in the cd player all the time. No need to skip any songs either. Holly gives us a collection of solid songs to enjoy, not a couple of singles with 30 minutes of filler. One of the brightest rising stars in music today, Holly gives hope to those who feared that strong original songs would be forever lost as we enter Puff Daddian Era of 1998. (Amazon review)