Dirty Linen
December 2003/January 2004

Terri Hendrix has always been a musician that takes risks. That’s why it isn’t unusual to find a song offering a farewell to Charlie Brown (and Charles Schultz), a fast-paced jungle rock tune on which the songwriter plays off the facades some people put up, a song that arose from a sleepless night on the road, a conversation with her bassist and an article about wolves and modern humankind, and eight other tunes that are just as varied and original. Hendrix isn’t afraid to add some rock into her folk, as with “I Found the Lions.” She can also switch effectively to folk-based storytelling in the title cut, drawn from a childhood experience with her parents, to gentle balladry in the closing song, “Prayer for My Friends.” Hendrix has a distinct voice, and a distinctive point of view, both of which are well presented on this album, the most cohesive and at the same time the most varied collection she’s released. Frequent collaborator and co-producer Lloyd Maines plays all sorts of instruments on the project, fellow songwriters Sara Hickman and Marcus Hummon show up for background vocals, and Glenn Fukunaga, the fellow night wolf whose conversation helped inspire the song, plays bass.