Krista Detor

Evidently this is her fourth album, but she’s a new name on me. Krista Detor. The album is Chocolate Paper Suites, a total of 5 “suites,” each comprised of three songs around the topic, generally speaking, about Lorca, Darwin, Dylan Thomas and who knows what else. As a music journalist I listen to a lot of music, and it’s so rare to come across something that moves me so much it makes me cry. The first few tracks I thought it might be Lisa Germano under another name, but Detor asserts her own personality. She’s a stunning writer – there are shades of Jane Siberry in there, along with Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen. More than that, there beauty in the music, her own beauty, and Clock Of The World (watch it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzLgf66oOeE) is one of those songs that’s absolutely perfect, like The Weight by the Band (although there’s nothing to compare them musically). All the elements come together in absolute perfection. The way the images build might seem random, but each is shaped just so and makes complete sense within its own context. But So Goes The Night and Small Things are equally gorgeous. This is someone who deserves more praise for her art and her talent. There’s not a single track here that falls below excellent. I don’t know what she’s done before, but this qualifies as one of my albums of 2010.