Now It's Time

AMG Review of Now It's Time

Richie Unterberger
All Music Guide

To be technical, this marked the first record Paula Frazer made with Tarnation for nearly ten years. That truly is a technicality, however, as Tarnation's personnel (other than Frazer) changed so constantly that it was pretty much a Frazer project anyway. So is this record, on which Frazer sings and writes the songs, with support from members of the Moore Brothers, the Kelley Stoltz Band, and Oranger. To be honest, Now It's Time is OK lyrically but unexceptional in its pensive, relationship-oriented concerns. Musically it's another matter, the record getting distinguished from several similar indie singer/songwriter oriented efforts on a few counts. The melodies are attractive and unusual, often with an arcing and yearning quality, and less fearful of brooding minor-key paths than many such efforts. Both the styles and arrangements are imaginatively varied, shaded with aroque orchestration, alt country overtones, and ringing folk-rock guitars. It might not sound like much on paper, but it really does a lot to help make it stand out from what might be considered its competition. Put brutally, it's more interesting to have a record that's average lyrically and above-average musically than vice versa, and Now It's Time succeeds on this count.