May 2008
DIY Spotlight

Terri Hendrix
"The Spiritual Kind"
Download: "Acre of Land"

Over the course of nine albums and a dozen years, Terri Hendrix has been writing about the ironies and observations of everyday existence. Her last effort, 2004's The Art of Removing Wallpaper, found her chronicling adversity in depth and despair, but her new album signals a renewed optimism that's as insightful as ever.

"My career has been all about the winding journey and not so much the destination," Hendrix insists. "With The Spiritual Kind I had one goal — make my fan base happy and satisfied that they spent a bit of their gas money on my music. I think we succeeded."

That confidence is well founded. The album's imbued with instantly embracing melodies and songs that detail life as defined by today's challenges and circumstance. The jaunty "Life's a Song" sets up this scenario, while "Bottom of the Hill," "Acre of Land" and the pointedly barbed "Things Change" skewer life's follies and offer encouragement for dealing with a modern malaise. A Woody Guthrie remake ("Pastures of Plenty") and a touching discourse on maintaining optimism and equilibrium ("If I Had a Daughter") enhance self-described themes of "spirituality, hope, the working class and the love of song."

Veteran producer Lloyd Maines and a seasoned backing band help maintain the album's earthy ambiance. "I've been blessed to work with the same players since 1996," Hendrix notes. "They know what I like melodically, and I know to let them play and leave them be. I think it's important to stay out of the way. these players won't walk on the lyrics. And Lloyd's a good coach to make everything come together as it should when it should."

— LEE ZIMMERMAN