Search - Cosy Sheridan :: Grand Design

Well worth the wait-- BRILLIANT!

09/06/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you've listened to Cosy Sheridan for awhile, you've probably been anxious for this album to appear. GRAND DESIGN is all that I've hoped for and more, showcasing a multi-faceted songwriter and performer at a new level of maturity.Cosy Sheridan compositions have long displayed a level of conciseness that eludes many writers. Wordy she ain't-- but she isn't simple either. "A Fool Entering the World" is a message of hope crystallized into just over one hundred words. "A Bad Cliche" follows, with the aching poignance of sexual abuse brought home vividly even to those of us who haven't "been there." And yet there is no wallowing in a Cosy Sheridan album: she immediately moves to "I Won't Worry Any More," an almost honky-tonk piece that suggests the healing power of a spiritual connection. This isn't the surreal buoyancy of Dory Previn's "I Danced and Danced and Smiled and Smiled," but rather a very conscious and hard-won decision to find hope despite adversity.It may seem incongruous that this wise and sometimes silly songwriter can also craft superb torch-songs, but this album offers two wonderful examples. "My Lost Valentine" and "Some Fires" might be at home in a smoky piano bar, even if the woman who wrote them would not. I can certainly imagine them fitting well with Carly Simon's collection "My Romance"...My personal favorite on this album is "The Little Train." I haven't heard anyone who more clearly describes the context of the Nanosecond Nineties, or who offers a better prescription for surviving them. This song promises a resounding "click" to every woman I know, and to many of the men as well! You'll also want to hear "Masterpiece," originally released seven years ago on her hard-to-find CD "Late Bloomer."Cosy Sheridan is an intelligent songwriter and a masterful guitarist. She is also a powerful teacher, articulate and generous with what she is learning. Whether you look to her for hope, humor, encouragement, or simply a great listen that can heal you a little in the process, take her music into your life. You won't regret it!"

This is a CD with heart

07/13/1998

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I first heard this CD on a public radio station and promptly went and ordered it. Cosy sounds like Shawn Colvin but is a little bouncier and less sultry. My favorite tracks are the title track (which is reminiscent of the child's book Harold's Crayon) which is irresistable but sadly very short ; George and His 88 Keys (I can't listen to it without crying - it's the grandfather equivalent of Butterfly Kisses) and an absolutely beautiful song that says everything about the life of the heart in a nutshell: Some Fires. There is one track called Bad Cliche which is almost too painful to listen to, a disturbing account of child sexual abuse and recovery - but it's a compelling song. Another is the thought provoking Don't Go In the Water - for those of us who live with uranium tailings, it's a fact of life. Over all, this is worth your money - I hope she gets more and more exposure!"