A tranquil listen comparable to early Nanci Griffith, the eighth album from Sarah Pierce strikes pay dirt. Songs about her family’s heritage thread together subtlety in country trappings about a simpler life. Opener “Small Town” points the way, and she never looks back until proclaiming “I Don’t Give My Heart” to just anyone. She and husband/producer/co-writer/drummer Merel Bregante are joined by Willy and Cody Braun on some tracks, but Pierce remains the sharp heart of Barbed Wire.

***.5

This article appears in December 4 • 2015.

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