Canadian Carolyn Mark opens Nothing Is Free with "The Business End," a mellow slice of country-folk highlighted by a fine vocal and old-time fiddle. With a touch of grain, Mark's country-flavored vocals will remind No Depression fans of Neko Case; it's a voice that sounds slightly retro, especially backed by a guitar with lots of echo/reverb. There's nothing retro, however, about the lyrics of "The Business End," or its medium-tempo follow-up, "Happy 2B Flying Away"; both are pure singer/songwriter. What works best about the material, though, is the sound of both tracks; the first, a quiet blend of fiddle and acoustic guitar, the latter (though it sounds too much like a leftover Case arrangement), a blend of acoustic guitar, a bouncy electric lead, and solid harmony on the choruses. The lyrics are another matter, especially on the first track. Depending on one's point of view, "The Business End" is a lesson in deep writing or navel gazing, with the narrator "praying for a disaster to come and solve/all the problems I don't have." The sound, however, would be enough to recommend Nothing Is Free, if the remainder of the album was as strong as the first two cuts. These two songs, though, are very good, and if one has patience, the final track, "Destination You," offers an intriguing deviation from everything that has come before it on Nothing Is Free.
No doubt Carolyn Mark is tired of seeing Natalie Merchant's name in her reviews, but their voices are so remarkably similar at times, it's impossible not to take note on first listen. On second spin, as your ear moves from the familiar timbre to its less familiar application in country and folk, there's still a loping waltz-time quality that bridges back to Merchant. Plunging further into the a...
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 "Nothing Is Free")
