This is an amazing and unlikely marriage of lyrics culled from the sophisticated lovelorn poems of Dorothy Parker set against meticulously arranged and performed guitar accompaniment in the style of John Fahey and Elizabeth Cotten. Each track is a little revelation. The words are all beautifully articulated and phrased. I recommend playing more than one to get the real flavor.

FCC clean. Favorite tracks: 1, 3, 4,5,6


1--Threnody (4:07) – beautifully phrased and articulated deadpan delivery of ironically observed heartbreak, “Lips that taste of tears, they say, are the best for kissing”
2—Solace (4:13) – guitar picking pierces your heart underneath the “why care” lyrics
3--The False Friends (2:12) -rhythmic flowing and flamenco beating echoes, “The heart that breaks an April child will mend in May again”
4--Ballade Of A Great Weariness (5:08) – “The sweeter the apple/The blacker the core/Scratch a lover/and find a foe”
5--Recurrence (3:19)-- “dip and drive the idling pen”, a song about writing, and love
6--The Red Dress (3:26) – flamenco-like sound tells the story of dashed childhood romantic dreams; shows more of what Gendron can do with her voice
7--The Last Question (2:15) –nice modulation – “whose will be the broken heart when the dawn comes by”
8--Not So Deep As A Well (5:08 ) – all instrumental, beautiful, unhurried guitar picking; echoes of John Fahey
9--Song Of Perfect Propriety (3:29) – revenge fantasy of becoming a marauding pirate instead of “writing little verse, as little ladies do”, minor key chords
10-Bric a Brac” – autoharp sound echos bric a brac theme of “little verses”
11-The Small Hours” – more sustained singing on this; prayer-like