"Messy Blue Ending" by Grace Hearn and Michael Savage

a Review by Anna Maria Stjärnell

Grace Hearn and Michael Savage where previously known as Hand to Mouth. Their music is still contemporary folk and addictively good.

Hearn's marvelous vocal and Savage's fluid guitar-playing is a the centre of the music. The edgy "Crush" circles around distorted guitars and Hearn's sad vocal. It's the closest thing to rock"n"roll on the record.

The sweet "Hope and Despair" recalls the Cowboy Junkies at their best.

The title track has a simple guitar line for Hearn to weave her voice around. The result is a hypnotic song with an intriguing lyric.

"What I can do Low (I Can do High)" is a piano ballad with spoken word verses and strikingly ethereal choruses. It's a daringly different song.

While I liked the duo's previous band name better, the music remains glorious. It's worth recommending to any music lover.

Posted on January 6, 2003