Libby Kirkpatrick
Country of origin:
U.S.
Type of music generally:
Contemporary folk
Status:
Most recent release, Heroine (2011)
See also:
Libby Kirkpatrick's pageHeart Music's Libby Kirkpatrick page
Comparisons:
Rickie Lee Jones, Shawn Colvin, Dar Williams, Patty Griffin, Sarah Slean, Jonatha Brooke
Covers/own material:
Own
General comments:
Libby Kirkpatrick has a dynamic voice and writes fascinating songs. Her guitar playing is very impressive, too. Her modern folk style is not wholly original, but still special. (stjarnell@yahoo.com)Libby Kirkpatrick's brand of folk can moves from rock to melancholy. I think she's at her best when most lively, but her moodier side is also appealing. It's true that what's she doing isn't entirely unique but it is still individual. Fans of singer songwriters would do well to check her music out. (sophiagurley@hotmail.com)
Comments about live performance:
I trekked out to Boulder to catch the show and was totally blown away...she weaves her own blend of ethereal folk (is that a genre?) that is quite magnificent. At times reminiscent of Patty Griffin, Sarah Slean, or Jonatha Brooke she floated, weaved, and played vocal gymnastics through her set. (5/02, gordoja@opt online.net)A couple years ago now, a friend dragged me down to The Living Room in NYC to see Libby Kirkpatrick. We ended up missing half her set, but I remember being impressed. (5/02, meth@smoe.org)
I saw Libby a year or so ago too and was really wowed by her. (5/02, neal)
Recommended first album:
Goodnight Venus
Recordings:
- Live at Fanfare (1995)
- Songs from the Ether (1998)
- Winged (live, 2001)
- Goodnight Venus (2003)
- Heroine (2011)
Songs from the Ether
Release info:
1998; reissued 2002—Heart Music—HMM 00272
Availability:
See website
Ecto priority:
Recommended
Group members:
Libby Kirkpatrick—guitar, vocals
Guest artists:
Hannah Alkire—cello on 2 tracks
Produced by:
Libby Kirkpatrick
Comments:
I picked up her debut album a few years ago and remembered liking it a lot. (gordoja@optonline.net)Libby Kirkpatrick's songs have a way of getting stuck in my head. The stripped-down approach suits them fine. "Proprioception" is a strong song with its poetic lyrics and fluid melody. "Thunder" is soft yet dark. "Jupiter" has a sweet vocal and skillful guitar-playing. The lyrics deals amusingly with the planets.
It's a powerful and intelligent record. (stjarnell@yahoo.com)
Winged
Live at Folks Fest and Velvet Studio
Release info:
2002—Heart Music—HM 028
Availability:
See website
Ecto priority:
Recommended
Group members:
Libby Kirkpatrick—vocals, guitar
Produced by:
Wil Masisak
Comments:
It's a very impressive live record and that's a rare feat. The quality of the songs is high. "To a Child" is a funky song with insightful lyrics. "White-eyelashed Girl" is a great portrait of a complex soul. "Ground Zero" is prefaced with a poignant talk about the singer's father and his disapproval of her career choice. Thankfully the conflict had a happy resolution. The song itself is stunning. (stjarnell@yahoo.com)
Goodnight Venus
Release info:
2003—Heart Music—000206002971
Availability:
See website
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended for fans of singer songwriters, folk, and folk/rock
Group members:
Libby Kirkpatrick—vocals, guitar
Guest artists:
Mitch Watkins—lead guitar, ebo
Jerry Marotta—drums, percussion
Sara Lee—bass
Jeremy Brown—drums
John Fremgen—bass, acoustic bass
Mike Elam—flugelhorn
JJ Johnson—drums, shaker
Michael Shay—cello
Doug Hall—piano
Erich Avinger—guitar
Alyssa Allen—bansuri flute
Abra Moore—backing vocals on 1 track
Produced by:
Tab Bartling
Comments:
Goodnight Venus is her best work yet and shows that Libby Kirkpatrick is a maturing songwriter and performer, who will surely be a force to be reckoned with in the singer songwriter scene. She has a range of emotion here from lively and rocking to haunting and bluesy. I'm hard-pressed to say which my favorite tracks on this album are, as all of them have their charms. "Goodnight Venus" is a strong, complex, energetic and captivating start to the album. "Vaulted Heart" reinforces that with a more straightforward piece of folk rock. "Wake Me Up" and "Circus" are quieter and more earnest, while "The Dream That You Are" has a jazzy bass syncopation. The guitar in "Jenny's Eyes" reminds me of John Renbourn's work—the song is stripped-down featuring lovely guitar work and a simple melody. "Silver Road" is more melancholy and haunting. "Crying" has the feel of late 60s folkrock to me with a slightly bluesy dimension. "Now" is a slightly off-kilter bluesy complaint. With its funky guitar, "To A Child" opens up the mood a little again, while "Run" turns up the energy while still remaining moody. "Garden" is her dark take on old concepts of the war between men and women and the story of Adam and Eve. The final track "This Raging Moment" reminds me a little of Leonard Cohen.
There are few singer songwriter/folk fans that this album won't appeal to. (sophiagurley@hotmail.com)Libby Kirkpatrick continues to do stunning work. Goodnight Venus is a brilliant folk album that sees her singing and playing marvellously. The sheer joy of "Vaulted Heart" makes me smile. "Wake Me up" is more reflective and captures her voice at its best. "The Dream that you are" is jazz-tinged and cool. Her voice echoes Rickie Lee Jones here. "Silver Road" is a dreamy, poignant tale. "This Raging Moment" closes the album beautifully. She lets loose on it and the result is great.
Goodnight Venus is easily her best album yet. (stjarnell@yahoo.com)
Thanks to Sophia Gurley and Anna Maria Stjärnell for work on this entry.
