Dirty Linen, August/September 2001

Terri Hendrix
Places in Between

Texan singer-songwriter Terri Hendrix manages that trick of balancing heart and mind in her music. She’s smart, which translates musically to a polished delivery and quick, clever lyrics. But she’s not so stuck on her own brains that she loses track of wit and soul. The title track takes the point of view of someone who wants to escape a small-town existence, and meanwhile occupies herself with dishing about her neighbors, only to realize, in the end, that she’s going nowhere—at least for now. It’s uptown-country sounding, with the sort of sass that has made girls like Shania big stars. But Hendrix seems too down-to-earth to get caught up in star trappings; she’s more like the kind of person who buys the best stuff she can get and then uses it till it wears out. She’s got class, but she’s also got guts, stretching away from the predictable with a charming, Celtic-influenced composition, "Joy or Sorrow," that recalls Bonnie Raitt’s cover of Paul Brady’s "Luck of the Draw." She even sings part of it in Gaelic. My favorite track is "Invisible Girl," a paean to all the non-babes that epitomizes Hendrix’s quiet confidence and sly wit.—Pamela Murray Winters