Jewell's fourth CD coming in June

Gypsy

Eilen Jewell's "Gypsy" opens with the ominous, mysterious "Beat the Drum," which is a swampy - and yes, gypsy - song of warning about some impending doom or other. It plays out like a softer type of vintage Creedence Clearwater Revival song. It's also likely political in nature, especially when Jewell repeats the line, "I believe in the dream." Only with album closer "79 Cents (The Meow Song)" does Jewell become expressly political while describing ...

Sundown Over Ghost Town

It's not an overstatement to say that Eilen Jewell is Johnny Cash reincarnate - at least, that's the sound she puts forth on her seventh album, "Sundown Over Ghost Town." Jewell's melancholy vocals and simplistic instrumentation betray just enough to show each song's depth and autobiographical roots. The 12 tracks range from lullabies to laments and from toe-tappers to tear-jerkers. Some of it is clearly autobiographical - "Songbird" is a sweet song ...

Queen of the Minor Key

On Eilen Jewell's "Queen of the Minor Key," her fourth album of original material, the Idaho-born/Boston-based singer/songwriter pushes her sound beyond the country/folk parameters she established for herself on her previous 3 (2005's "Boundary County," 2007's excellent "Letters from Sinners & Strangers" and 2009's "Sea of Tears"). Bookended by the surf/spy thematics of opening instrumental Radio City and propulsive bikini beach ...