Between Here and Gone

Mary Chapin Carpenter's new record, "Between Here and Gone," is something of a return to form. Probably the best since "Come On Come On" in 1992.

The only thing that slightly jars is when her voice does this deep/gruff thing, which is something that's become more prevalent with age. It can spoil an otherwise nice song.

On the web site, under photos you will note that she is mostly photographed from above. This is because she is quite Big, as in Fat. I don't particularly care, mind. I've seen her live, so how could I not now that she is quite short and chubby? But her record company (those nice people at Sony) insist on promoting a mythologically slim version of her. You'll rarely see an album cover photo showing her correct size and girth. On the cover of "Come On Come On," her most successful album, she looks positively anorexic.

But she's one of those people, like Andie MacDowell, with a slim face and a big bum and thighs. These people can get away with it, photographically, whereas people like myself, the fat goes to the face first.

Anyway, I should say, a MCC record is really like a MCC+John Jennings record, because Jennings and his guitar playing have always been an essential part of her sound. He's a great player, and they go together like bourbon and coke.

So it's a nice record, some good songs, but I'm not sure it won't slide, eventually, into the Worthy But Dull category. I'm thinking now of a line in a Sara Evans song, "It sure is a long stretch of highway / Between going and gone..." and I'd rather be listening to that right now.