From the moment I walked in the door to the moment I left, the hairs all up and down my neck were standing on end. Holland is one of the rare artists who actually sounds better live than through the filters of the studio. As a songwriter, her work is heartfelt and more than adequately competent, and her band is as tight as any I have heard. Her true talent though is her voice, which is that of an Appalachian angel. It is rugged and honest, but also divinely pure and unfaltering. She has a tonal warmth which exudes a sense of well-being in her listener, not unlike that of a maternal figure. Not only in the sense of when you were a kid and scraped your knee, but also as an adult who is seeking a mate with whom they would like to raise children. Luckily, she spoke long enough between songs to break the spell she had me under, or else I might have become some sort of a Holland-Head and had to travel the country following her.
Seriously, if you haven\'t heard any of her work and appreciate artists like Emmylou Harris or Iris Dement, you owe it to yourself to check her out. Columbus-based Moviola opened the show and gave an example of the complete opposite type of artists-- those whose studio work is superior to their live performance. But that is a moot point, as they have been one of my favorite bands for quite some time.
So do yourself a favor and catch Jolie Holland when she stops by a town near you. Until then, head on over to jolieholland.com and moviolamusic.com.