Shawn Colvin [extended]

• Fat City [Columbia, 1992] C
• Whole New You [Columbia, 2001]
• Colvin & Earle [Fantasy, 2016] **

See Also:

• Colvin & Earle

Consumer Guide Reviews:

Fat City [Columbia, 1992]
This ambitious sophomore wins the prize--the female postfolkie you're too bored to hate. The digitalized Suzanne Vega is wisely popwise and the bionic Joan Baez positively swangin' by comparison. Matching strong, undistinguished voice to literate, undistinguished verse, Colvin is like a young Joni Mitchell without swoops or self-invention. And lest you riposte that young Joni Mitchell beats old Joni Mitchell, Columbia doles out production chores to old Joni Mitchell's bass-playing husband, who drags the ordinary down toward an offensively well-groomed studio folk-rock that combines the smugness of '70s El Lay with the overstatement of '80s Megapop--and later for the '90s. C

Whole New You [Columbia, 2001]

Colvin & Earle: Colvin & Earle [Fantasy, 2016]
On six cowrites and four sweet covers, Steve takes most of the starch out of Shawn, who retains enough to stiffen him up like he needs ("You Were on My Mind," "Happy and Free") **