Syd Straw

War and Peace (Capricorn)
by Sheril Stanford

After seven years of gathering musical fodder, Syd Straw is back; her songwriting skills and gutsy, yet ethereal, voice as strong as ever. In past lives, in addition to her work with avant garde extraordinaires the Golden Palaminos, Straw has worked with the likes of Rickie Lee Jones, Richard Thompson, Evan Dando, Michael Stipe, and Peter Holsapple (the dBs). Thus, it’s no surprise to find the songs on this disc all over the stylistic map, ranging from rollicking rock to edgy punk, from blues to country and back again. Excellent cuts include “CBGB’s” and “Howl,” evocative of P.J. Harvey at her best. Alanis, pay attention. This is how it’s done.