Indigo Girls : Releases >>

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The Indigo Girls, now marking their 20th anniversary, were in a bit of slump before turning to producer Mitchell Froom, who serves them well on this energized effort--their 10th studio album and first for a new label. Recorded at Froom's home studio in Santa Monica, California, the album finds Ray, Saliers & Co. trying a few new things--recording with everybody in the same room, for example, and stepping further out of their acoustic framework for an enhanced sonic landscape, e.g., the Beatlesque "Little Perennials." They also invited impressive newbie Brandi Carlisle to harmonize on "Last Tears," one of the disc's most memorable tracks, and called on Pink (the IGs appeared on I'm Not Dead) for "Rock and Roll Heaven's Gate." All this contributes to a fresher sound and attitude, but the songwriting (Amy's rock leanings, Emily's moody balladry) is up a notch, too, with the social activism ("Pendulum Swinger") better expressed and more sophisticated than their usual banner-waving. What hasn't changed is the way the duo's vocal lines entwine like tangled lovers--at their best, it's hard to tell where one leaves off and the other begins, their corduroy-and-denim harmonies becoming a sort of third tone. That's a neat trick for voices as diverse and distinctive as these, still commanding as they enter their third decade. --Alanna Nash

Indigo Girls >>

Retrospective >>

Try to think of an enduring, widely respected, artistically progressive female songwriting duo. Now, try to think of one besides the Indigo Girls. Amy Ray and Emily Saliers have been pounding the folk-rock pavement since the early 1980s, filling the ears of eager listeners with their ethereal harmonies, lush arrangements, and evocative lyrics. Retrospective traces their progression from budding singer-songwriters to stunning musicians, arrangers, activists, and artists. Progressing chronologically, the album allows the listener to appreciate the depth and breadth of the pair's musical growth--from the reedy, passionate plea of "Strange Fire" to the blithe bounce of "Least Complicated" to the dark electricity of "Go." As time passes, more instruments are added, more sensitive political topics are addressed, and more experimental techniques are incorporated. The two new cuts--Ray's uptempo but slightly turbulent "Devotion" and Saliers's heartfelt road ballad "Leaving"--are reminiscent of the Girls' younger days but also reflect their artistic growth through subtle lyrical turns and deft melodic variations. --Sally Weinbach

1200 Curfews >>

While many of these live tracks were culled from the Swamp Ophelia tour, the entire collection on this two-disc set covers a lot of territory in the Indigo Girls oeuvre. From the charming "Back Together Again" (recorded in Amy's basement in 1982) to the reverent cover of Joni Mitchell 's "River" (recorded live in Atlanta), these songs capture the energy and spirit of one of the most successful folk-rock duos in the history of contemporary music. Live renditions of favorites like "Closer to Fine," "Power of Two," "Strange Fire," "Land of Canaan," and "Galileo" bristle with passion, and the mandolin, cello, and percussion parts sparkle in concert. While they're right on with their rave-up of Bob Dylan's "Tangled Up in Blue," the one misstep is the lackluster performance on the 10-minute "Down by the River" by Neil Young. --Lorry Fleming

Swamp Ophelia >>

Reflecting the growth Amy Ray and Emily Saliers experienced during the late '80s and early '90s as songwriters and as performers, Swamp Ophelia finds the duo feeling more experimental, and also more relaxed. Guests like Lisa Germano (violin, mandolin), Jane Scarpantoni (cello), and Jane Siberry (vocals) assist in creating a satisfying and full sound. Songs like the romantic "Power of Two" and Amy's solo venture "Fare Thee Well" would do Jackson Browne proud. The Roches add a lovely vocal layer to "Reunion," and bongos and percussion give the bouncy "Least Complicated" an interesting texture. The darker tones of "Dead Man's Hill," with its haunting melodica and tom-toms, provide needed contrast to the lighter moods in the collection. Their harmonies are a delight, and the closer, "This Train (Revised)," is a wonderful, energetic nod to Woody Guthrie.--Lorry Fleming

All That We Let In >>

Some 20 years into their career, the Indigo Girls continue to work the same protected turf they staked out with their first album, building on their strengths--gorgeous melodies, teardrop vocal blends, and the occasional poetic insight worth jotting on the back of an envelope. But on their ninth album, their irritating habits remain as intractable as ever: must every romantic spat be framed against saving the whales (okay, the shrinking water supply) and the fight for clean air? And why not put all that randy energy to good use? On "Tether," a Joan Osborne-fronted song that would have aired on progressive rock stations in the '60s and '70s, the three need to kick it up a notch and set a match to those dueling, gasoline-powered guitars. Yet when the chips are down, both Emily Sailers and Amy Ray turn out inspired songs, especially "Something Real," in which a long-awaited reunion with a friend leaves Sailers full of regrets, and "Cordova," a haunting eulogy in which Ray's choices in lust and liberal causes start to blur. --Alanna Nash

Rites of Passage >>

Nomads Indians Saints >>

Rarities >>

Have the Indigo Girls hit the doldrums? Their concerts of late often prove to not only be lackluster, but dated, as singer/songwriter/guitarists Amy Ray and Emily Saliers veer dangerously close to seeming more like relics than icons. Part of that stems from their reliance on familiar material, as if their writing has slowed to a trickle. Now comes more suggestion of that in Rarities, an album made up of leftovers, odds and ends, demos, other previously unreleased material, and contributions to side albums. The good news is that there is much here to enjoy, all of it wrapped in the Girls' trademark corduroy-and-silk harmonies. Their demo version of "Ghost" is fraught with fevered longing, a remix of "Shed Your Skin" delights with its swirling, hypnotic soundscape, and the cameos by Michael Stipe ("I'll Give You My Skin") and Ani DiFranco ("Ramblin' Round") resonate with artistry and star power. But the 18-song album bloats with less-than-sparkling cuts (for example, a cacophonous rendering of Vic Chesnutt's "Free of Hope," two early and undistinguished songs from both Emily and Amy, and a techno-meets-country remix of "Free in You"). In the end, this is more a collector's disc than a window on the duo's "rarest" moments. --Alanna Nash