On
Mercy Streets
, vocalist
Kate McGarry
seamlessly combines music from many disparate sources into a cohesive, emotional experience.
"Mercy Street,"
written by
Peter Gabriel
, is a solid display of her
folk-pop
sensibilities in an arrangement that clearly sets her version apart from the river of reworked
pop
hit arrangements.
McGarry
's vocal style is soft, subtle, and sensitive, and provides a welcomed textural contrast and stylistic variety to
"State of Emergency"
and
"Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets."
This is not a typical
folk-jazz
offering. With contributions from pianist and labelmate
Fred Hersch
on two tracks, the music is sometimes carefully deconstructed and put back together, now including elements of
jazz
and versatile drums and percussion from
Kenny Wollesen
. Overall,
has amazing articulation and offers an effective set that bridges the sonic chasm between
. ~ Paula Edelstein