[3.5/5] Not even a Swiss Army knife has the cutting versatility of Maria Taylor's rich alto, the Azure Ray siren whose voice grows more evocative with the passing of the seasons. Lynn Teeter Flower finds Taylor shaving away some of the layers from her solo debut 11:11 for more subtle ornamentation and experimentation. This makes for a stout bouquet of styles that range from Beatlesque rock ("Smile And Wave") and the Cure at half speed ("No Stars") to spare white-girl funk ("My Own Fault") and the ass-jigglin' DJ Assault beats of "Irish Goodbye." The Saddle Creek follies are wisely relegated to a single duet with Conor Oberst on the countrified "The Ballad Of Sean Foley," keeping the focus on Taylor's confident confections as she weaves through genres with her harmonic sensibilities and pop vision intact. (SADDLE CREEK) Erick Haight
 Official Website: http://www.saddle-creek.com
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