Record Review - 1 August 15 2001

In 1999, enigmatic singer/songwriter Shannon Wright emerged from the rubble that was the break-up of her former group Crowsdell with a gem of a solo debut, Flightsafety. Wright sang and played all the instruments on Flightsafety, but it was her ability to convey themes of isolation, despair and passion that helped the album make several rock critics’ top 10 lists.

Two years later, Wright is on the verge of her third release, Dyed in the Wool, and set to enter her prime as a solo artist. Though its 34 minutes of music is EP length, Dyed is a solid group of songs that are more explosive and less frantic than before. Wright’s vocals on tracks like “Hinterland” and “You Hurry Wonder” are as intense as Tori Amos’ earlier work, while contributions from Brian Teasley (of Man or Astro-man?) on drums and Andy Baker on bass help flesh things out.

Wright’s sound will not appeal to everyone; it can be quite dark and cacophonic. At times, Wright seems too obsessed with her songs, but hey, there aren’t so many artists these days that are both passionate and authentic.??