Crayon Angel: A Tribute to the Music of Judee Sill

iTunes Review

Judee Sill’s short, troubled life resulted in two studio albums for Asylum Records in the early ‘70s. Intensified cult interest led to several reissues with unreleased tracks and finally this 2009 tribute album from a heady cast of modern singer-songwriters who bring her work to new life with performances that reflect Sill’s unusual melodic sense. Canadian wunderkind Ron Sexsmith kicks things off with an acoustic, practically lo-fi, rendition of the title track. Sweden is well represented with singer Frida Hyvönen meditating at her piano and wrapping herself in echo for “Jesus Was a Cross Maker,” while Nicolai Dunger twists “Soldier of the Heart” into a Scott Walker-like romp. Final Fantasy turn “The Donor” into keyboard space-pop. Trembling Blue Stars add a twinge of joy to their usual rueful approach for “Lady-O,” and the Bye Bye Blackbirds add a saddle to “There’s a Rugged Road” for an alt-country approach. In addition, there are two Sill-penned tracks that have only surfaced as sheet music with no known recordings: “Reach for the Sky” from Beth Orton and “For a Rainbow” from Smog’s Bill Callahan, who never fails to find the slowness in a tune.