Caitlin Cary

Record Review

Phases and Stages

Caitlin Cary

I'm Staying Out (Yep Roc) This wonderfully realized album by songbird/ violinist Caitlin Cary is proof that sophomore slumps are strictly for amateurs. Hot on last year's masterful While You Weren't Looking, the former Whiskeytown vocalist serves up a solid second helping to ravenous listeners. Any of Out's 11 deliciously rootsy country pop-rockers could follow Looking's AAA radio staple "Shallow Heart, Shallow Water" without missing a beat. That's testament to Cary's well-crafted songwriting. Thoughtful without being melancholic and sentimental without being smarmy, Cary's smoky vocals lead you through the colors of love and relationships on Out, weaving gentle stories on songs like "Empty Rooms," "In a While," and "The Next One" and cautionary tales like "Beauty Fades Away." That voice is worth Cary's weight in gold, so languorous on "Sleepin' in on Sunday" and so naked on "Please Break My Heart," a country tune with gulpy honky-tonk piano and weeping fiddle that would do Patsy Cline proud. Cary doesn't soar this high without a little help from her friends. Chris Stamey reprises his role as producer, while Mitch Easter and the Black Crowes' Audley Freed contribute to Cary's longtime band, alongside "Cello Girl" Jane Scarpantoni (Springsteen, REM, Nirvana). Mary Chapin Carpenter, who sings harmony on "Empty Rooms," "The Next One," and "Lorraine Today," wrote a post-Looking fan letter to Cary, who promptly drafted her for Out. For many years, Caitlin Cary played the rock to Ryan Adam's stormy persona in Whiskeytown. Now that she's found the spotlight, it's a most appropriate place for her to shine.

***.5

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

Support the Chronicle  

READ MORE
More Music Reviews
Texas Platters
Kinky Friedman
Resurrection (Record Review)

Rick Weaver, Jan. 3, 2020

Texas Platters
The Beaumonts / Hickoids
This Is Austin, All the World's a Dressing Room (Record Review)

Kevin Curtin, Jan. 3, 2020

More by Margaret Moser
Did I Know Bruce Springsteen Was Going to Play 2012?
Did I Know Bruce Springsteen Was Going to Play 2012?

March 3, 2017

Adult Audio Coloring Book Sampler
Adult Audio Coloring Book Sampler
A look back at illustrated album covers old and new

July 29, 2016

MORE IN THE ARCHIVES
One click gets you all the newsletters listed below

Breaking news, arts coverage, and daily events

Keep up with happenings around town

Kevin Curtin's bimonthly cannabis musings

Austin's queerest news and events

Eric Goodman's Austin FC column, other soccer news

Information is power. Support the free press, so we can support Austin.   Support the Chronicle