Elaine Greer

Annotations

In Austin’s the Sour Notes, Elaine Greer is a quietly compelling figure floating amid lush layers of the band’s indie-pop cool. For her solo CD, Annotations, she doesn’t necessarily veer from that form, but its sharp vignettes read like footnotes to her life, hence the title. And if Greer’s tone isn’t strident, neither is she a shy violet. Such songs as “Everything Works Out,” “Can’t Go Back,” “Wave,” and “It Rains, It Pours” are statements of the heart, soothing and optimistically sung in her clear, lingering voice. Annotations‘ silky, often delicately acoustic instrumentation imbues every track with gentleness and warmth. “Put small fires out with your hands,” she advises on “Small Fires,” knowing that if getting burned is part of the risk, healing and a tougher skin are part of the lesson.

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This article appears in September 30 • 2011.

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