Terri Hendrix
The Spiritual Kind
Wilory WR30008 (2007)

On her ninth album, Texas singer/songwriter Terri Hendrix focuses on issues of the heart and spirit. Working with a well-tuned and time-tested group of collaborators, including guitaristproducer- performing partner Lloyd Maines, bassist Glenn Fukunaga, and percussionist Paul Pearcy, she explores a diverse set of subjects and styles, including the slow talking blues of the title tune, the cool jazz of "Mood Swing," and the gritty, almost techno dirge "What Is the Color of the Soul?" The opening "Life’s a Song" explores life’s interconnections, building from a quiet beginning to a powerful chorus featuring an infectious guitar-fiddle riff, and "Things Change" focuses on impermanence. Several songs, including "Bottom of the Hill" and "Acre of Land" consider the significance of hearth and home, while the wistful talking narrative of "If I Had a Daughter" and the bittersweet "Soul of My Soul" delve into the importance family plays in our lives. Hendrix’s political side is revealed in a passionate cover of Woody Guthrie’s "Pastures of Plenty" and her own "Jim Thorpe’s Blues," which links the stripping of the Olympic medalist’s awards with the current burial of nuclear waste on his tribe’s reservation. (MP)