Columbia CK 67501
4.5 rating

review by Art Menius

A few years ago, when infectious tunes like "Down At The Twist And Shout" brought country stardom to Mary Chapin Carpenter, the Wall Street Journal took time to remark on how an intelligent, college educated woman could take such a career course. Yet her choice clearly holds up to any economic analysis. She rose from the being Washington, DC’s favorite singer-songwriter – a world of coffeehouses for tips one night, the Kennedy Center the next, day jobs, and dominating the Washington Area Music Awards without even having a recording out – in less than five years to the top of the country charts and show stopping televised music industry award show performances.

The twin impulses of poetic, often melancholy, singer-songwriter and 1960’s pop influenced country hit maker have embraced each other on Mary Chapin Carpenter’s (I find it hard not to use all three names. Old DC friends call her "Chapin.") on all of her Columbia albums, even her 1987 debut Hometown Girl – remember "A Road Is Just A Road." A Place In The World kicks off sounding like not only a complete triumph for the more recent style, but her homage to 60’s rock. The lead-off "Keeping The Faith" quotes the Rolling Stones’ "Tumbling Dice" from the opening riff. "Heroes In Your Own Hometown" delivers hooky, anthemic heartland rock with a country beat in the mold of "He Thinks He’ll Keep Her" that should carry it far up the charts. "Heroes" reminds me of Tom Petty’s better work, so it’s little surprise to find Heartbreaker Benmont Tench on keyboards. Another almost sure-fire hit "I Want To Be Your Girlfriend" disguises serious lyrics about modern romance with basic feel good pop rock. "Let Me Into Your Heart" grooves to Stax/Volt-style horns arranged by another DC alumnus Rico Petrucelli.

Only "I Can See It Now," which lyrically sets the stage for "Girlfriend," interrupts the opening volley of rockers. Yet quiet, introspective songs dominate the second half of the album. "What If We Went To Italy" makes the transition with lyrics far from country:

What if we spent our days, improving our minds, learning new ways to be lazy
It wouldn’t be too much of a strain
Relax after breakfast ‘til lunch comes around
Can’t wait for dinner, oh, I need to lie down
And refuel, out by the pool

The quiet songs display a depth and specificity of detail. Check out "Ideas Are Like Stars," a sharply focused day in the lonely life of Joseph. Loneliness is a classic country theme, but Mary Chapin Carpenter handles it in a totally non-country way. Between two more exquisite lyrical outings in "Sudden Gift of Fate" and the closing title cut, she sandwiches one last uplifting pop rocker, "The Better To Dream Of You," another potential hit.

The CD demonstrates that Mary Chapin Carpenter can evolve while staying with one producer, John Jennings, who goes back with her to the DC folk scene of the early 1980s. Together they deserve credit for seeing a unique vision for the kind of mainstream success has mostly eluded emerging singer-songwriters for twenty years. Jennings and Chapin went to Nashville, while contemporaries like Tracy Chapman and Suzanne Vega took the pop route. While the later pair have enjoyed enviable careers, they haven’t matched the sustained chart success Mary Chapin Carpenter found in country music.

A Place In The World convinces me to compare Mary Chapin Carpenter not to any country singer, but to Joni Mitchell, particularly the hit making Mitchell of a score or so ago. They both a share of wealth of apparently personal feelings and experiences. Whereas the Canadian blended jazz, folk, and 1950’s rock ‘n’ roll, the younger artists synthesizes folk melodies with rock and country-rock, while maintaining a separate quiet singer-songwriter performing style. She attempts here to bring them together only on the least successful tracks, "That’s Real" and the mainstream country shuffle of "Naked To The Eye," which even so showcases the lead guitar of Duke Levine and the drumming of another DC vet, Robbie Magruder, to While Chpain and Joni’s rhythms differ, their easily memorable melodies bear definite similarities. Listen again to "Heroes In Your Own Hometown." Reread the excerpt above from the lyrics of "Italy."

A Place In The World seems like Mary Chapin Carpenter’s best effort to date of balancing her two musical personalities. She benefits from a top notch support crew including Kim Richey and Shawn Colvin on harmonies and Fairport Convention drummer Dave Mattacks. She lures listeners in with the rockers, then exposes them to some of her best introspective work. With songs for both Saturday night parties and drizzly gray Sunday mornings, Chapin has produced her best single album in A Place In The World.