Allison Moorer Keeps Album Strong But Simple

2/20/2008 Stephen L. Betts Singer Allison Moorer is profiled in an L.A. Times feature by Holly Gleason. Among other things, she discusses her new album, which was recorded in three days. “There is something so quiet about Allison Moorer, you almost don't notice the ethereal beauty in the delicate black silk blouse and tumble of strawberry colored hair tucked into a booth in a restaurant here,” writes Gleason. “Her porcelain complexion, sophisticatedly minimal accessories and chic knee-high boots set her apart from the mere mortals crawling the mid-Tennessee mall, yet Moorer, 35, remains most definitely a daughter of the South.” Mockingbird, Allison’s just-released album produced by Buddy Miller, features songs written by an eclectic group of women. “The running thread - and I didn't notice it initially - is strength,” says Allison of the project. “Front to back, really, that's it. Even if they're not hitting you over the head, they're all strong and coming from a very worldly place, yet the language remains feminine. “I really learned that simplicity is best 97% of the time. These songs are deep while not sounding contrived and overwrought. They're mostly quite plaintive, and it takes a quiet confidence to write like that: to be so honest yet not beat people over the head with it.” Among the songs included are Nina Simone's “Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl,” Patti Smith’s “Dancing Barefoot,” Ma Rainey's “Daddy, Goodbye Blues,” Joni Mitchell's “Both Sides Now,” and sister Shelby Lynne's “She Knows Where She Goes.”