Grey De Lisle - 'Iron Flowers'

I've been listening to Grey De Lisle's second album Iron Flowers quite a bit lately. It opens with a cover of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" which captures all the fragile beauty of the original (and leaves out the baroque mid-section entirely). Otherwsie, this record is a good deal more accessible than her last record The Graceful Ghost, which is terrific but is so soft and delicate that you have to really pay close attention. Iron Flowers retains the intimate charm of its predecessor but dares to rock a bit more ("rock" being a relative term here). Husband Murray Hammond (from The Old 97's) contributes a ton to the proceedings, as does producer Marvin Etzioni (both were the predominate collaborators on Ghost).

You have to be in just the right Sunday-morning-mood to sit through the whole thing, but the reward is substantial. And besides, do you know anyone else who looks that cute holding an autoharp? That's for real, by the way - she actually plays that thing.

(BTW, my wife would look really hot holding an autoharp, but she doesn't have one and apparently doesn't think taking it up as a hobby would be "totally Appalachian-vibe 1890's sexy" like some people might. I mean, I don't really know anything about it, but it pretty much plays itself, just like the name implies, right? Whatever - Grey De Lelisle actually married nerdy Murray Hammond so all women who play autoharps are from here on out very sweet and hot. Of course, my wife married geeky me so she's awfully sexy, too.)