Rating 5.0
Nostalgia in OrbitMichelle Shocked (nee Johnson) takes nostaligia, adds irrepressible energy, anger and cynicism to create music with such clarity and longing it does indeed sound divinely inspired. Most of the songs, particularly "Anchorage" and "Memories of East Texas" (wow!), are auto-open-heart-surgery. They get to the dilemma of wanting to burn the banal small-town restrictiveness of all the things that we are told as we grow up, and the desolation of loosing the dreams that we need to believe in. The medium may be "Country Music," but the message could not be more City. Nor is it a punky protest CD, save for cover and the strange last track. There is protest, in lyrics (you have got to hear her sing them, please) such as "And they could not make a place for a girl who'd seen the ocean" and "Hey Chel, We was wild then," but beyond the hot angry protest, there is a cold cynical distance. This lady went further afield than Anchorage (read her bio by the way). In a similar-ish vien I can also recommend, Voice of the Beehive, Analis Morissette, Tracy Chapman, Suzanne Vega and Kate Bush. Avril Lavigne isn't bad either, but Michelle Shocked beats the pants off Avril Lavigne. You will not regret buying this CD. Someone should lose their job......for letting this CD out of print. Get your act together record company and make it available in a hurryfantasticI had first heard of Michelle Shocked when I read a review of her album "Deep Natural" in the Minneapolis paper. I bought the album and loved it, but I was not able to find any more of her albums in a store (and have not purchased any online). Recently I borrowed two Michelle Shocked albums from the public library. I have since had "Short Sharp Shocked" constantly playing in my cd player. This album has a bluesy, down home folk funk sound to it. It is fairly hard to describe, but I think that is a good thing. Michelle Shocked has a wonderful sound and I appreciate the fact that it can't really be pigeonholed. There is a power in Shocked's voice. "Anchorage" is one of my favorite tracks from the album, but there is no song that I really don't like on this gem. Great album and definitely worth buying. | 
