After the artistic bonanza of 2005's CD triple-shot (the eclectic Don't Ask Don't Tell, the Disney covers Got No Strings and the Latin-influenced Mexican Standoff), Michelle Shocked returns with a passionate album of rock, folk and a touch of soul. Aside from her theme albums, the mood here is among the most focused of her catalog, nicely summed by the quote in her album's press: "I think the meditation these past several years, ever since I stopped drinking, really, has been to jettison rage without losing the ability to feel strong feelings." Her lyrics are deeply emotional, bitter and angry at the lasting effects of the Bush administration, and tender and loving towards the "official love of her life," artist David Willardson. [...]

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