If you want to hear the voice of country singer Gray De Lisle, you don't necessarily have to play one of her CDs. An afternoon of watching cartoons (Spongebob Squarepants, The Powerpuff Girls, Rugrats) or playing a computer game will also suffice, because De Lisle is a much sought-after speaker of voices. Still, this shouldn't be a reason to ignore her third album The Graceful Ghost (2004), because
… it is of a chilling beauty. Chilling, given the themes discussed - death, loss, homesickness - that do not make The Graceful Ghost a happy CD. The album was recorded in De Lisle's living room, where an attempt was made to evoke a 'pre-Civil War' feeling. De Lisle and her band (with her husband Murry Hammond on guitar and vocals) used old equipment and instruments for this, like the pedal harmonium from around 1800 in the somewhat lurid song Katty Allen. In all its stillness and simplicity, The Graceful Ghost is a very beautiful record, which is not recommended in times of gloom or depression. (IV)more
