Paradise Hotel

I agree with another reviewer here who has noticed that Eliza Gilkyson just keeps getting better and better. I have loved her music ever since I first heard her sing "Calling All Angels" (not the Jane Siberry song, but a Gilkyson original with the same title) in the 1980's. With a voice somewhere between the velvet-smoothness of a Jennifer Warnes and the grittier edges of a Lucinda Williams, Ms. Gilkyson does few covers of other songwriters' work, since her own compositions are more than enough to carry an entire album. Having just said this, I'm particularly fond of the one song on this CD not at least co-written by Eliza, "Is It Like Today" (by Karl Wallinger and Edmond De Vere), with its addicting, melodic hook line, "...how could it come to this, yeah I really want to know about this..." However, this latest collection of songs may be Eliza Gilkyson's crowning achievement as a songwriter, thus far, and fans of great contemporary "folk" music who, for one reason or another have managed to miss ever hearing this artist (she certainly deserves greater fame), would do well to start with this latest CD. It's hard to pick favorites, as this is all so good. I love the tunes to "Borderline" and "Think About You." Now, with the horrible disaster of Hurricane Katrina, "Calm Before the Storm," already a strong piece, acquires even greater poignancy. Throughout this album, Gilkyson's band is spot on, and provides more than ample support for Eliza's expressive voice. What is perhaps Gilkyson's greatest strength is her ability to grab the listener with a strong melody first; then she moves in for the kill with devastating lyrics. Whether her words are political, as with the angry "Man Of God," or personal, as in "Think About You," repeated listenings reveal deeper layers of meaning. Throughout her career, Eliza's poetry has used lots of Christian imagery and symbolism, but she is no religious extremist. Her music is spiritual in the deepest sense, and her songs resonate with compassion, an understanding of the human condition, and a love for life. Do you like Lucinda Williams, Gillian Welch or Dar Williams? Buy this record. You will not be disappointed! For further listening, seek out the CD "Pilgrims," which may be out of print, and 1997's "Redemption Road." "Pilgrims" is lovely, but it also reveals how far Eliza Gilkyson has come since then; her poetry was like that of a talented schoolgirl, as compared with the artistry of the world-wise woman of today. "Redemption Road" is my second-favorite album by this artist (the latest being my pick for The Best), closely followed by her Red House CD, "Hard Times In Babylon."

Not nearly as famous as she deserves to be, Eliza Gilkyson just gets better and better. With each album she proves that she's the equal of any of her folk-rocking, singing-and-songwriting contemporaries. Always a formidable singer, a vocalist of the smoke-and-tears school, she just plain sounds great throughout as she delivers one compelling performance and composition after another.

Paradise Hotel opens with the hook-laden "Borderline," with Mike Hardwick's electric guitar affording the bleak lyrics an oddly warm country ambience, though this is not, strictly or even broadly speaking, a country tune. Written in a style reminiscent an old folk ballad, "Jedidiah 1777" movingly relates the true story of a Gilkyson ancestor who fought in the Revolutionary War.

Perhaps the stand-out cut, though, is the hard-driving, blues-drenched, impassioned "Man of God," whose target is not hard to discern. The song opens: "The cowboy came out of the west/with his snakeskin boots and his big war chest." It goes on from there. Lovers of the current regime in the White House will not be pleased, but the rest of us will see that if American leadership in the early 21st Century has done nothing else, it has done wonders for the old-fashioned folk-protest song.

I first saw Eliza Gilkyson at a SXSW showcase in Austin in the late 90s. She blew me away then -- it was right before "Hard Times in Babyon" came out -- and every CD she's released since then has exceeded the one before. "Paradise Hotel" continues her winning streak, and works on so many levels: highly listenable right away and very satisfying on a melodic/groove level, but the song lyrics yield deeper riches every time I tune in and pay closer attention. Searching for words to describe how much I love this CD, I googled for reviews and found this one from the Austin Chronicle. I couldn't agree more....

"Neither life nor love has spared Eliza Gilkyson its sharp edges, even if the muses have blessed her bountifully. She bore her wounds with style and grace on 2000's Hard Times in Babylon...and the acclaimed Lost and Found (2002). Last year's Grammy-nominated Land of Milk and Honey was filled with blood tears for losses redeemed and the dead remembered. It's with great relief and comfort, then, to hear Paradise Hotel and feel the new, soft skin as old scars heal. This new offering in her contemporarily flawless oeuvre is tender and cathartic to the point of jubilation, brimming with radio-polished tunes ("Is It Like Today," "Bellarosa") and exquisite traditional folk ("Jedidiah 1777"). Paradise Hotel is rife with nuances that distinguish its author's pen; on "Borderline," she hums "Whiter Shade of Pale" to her own melody. Gilkyson hasn't backed down from her hard-line political stance either. The album's showstopper is the third track, "Man of God," booming with authority and righteous rejection of the party line. With longtime producer/compadre Mark Hallman providing his intuitive and expert touch, the question then is not which of her albums is the best; it's how do you choose between silk and velvet?" 08/12/2005, Austin Chronicle, Margaret Moser

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