Laura Veirs: The Triumphs And Travails Of Orphan Mae
Nick Hasted, Uncut, March 2005
First UK release of Veirs' second album, in wake of hugely acclaimed Carbon Glacier.
AFTER 1999'S PUNKISH, eponymous debut, this was where Veirs began to learn the elemental American language she made her own on last year's Carbon Glacier. A concept album built around the travels of the titular heroine in the Old West, Mae is introduced in fine style, reacting to being half-stripped by malicious menfolk by finishing the job herself, and cackling in the ashes of the jailhouse she's torched. Attention grabbed, our remaining time in her company is a contemplative communion with rivers, railways and flowers.
Total word count of piece: 498
