Hard Times in Babylon marks Eliza Gilkyson's debut on Red House Records and shows this talented singer/songwriter in fine form. It is not a record full of insta-hits. That's not what Gilkyson is about. Her focus is on the craft of songwriting and making records. Both the songs and her voice sound warmly familiar, comforting, and timeless. "Coast" certainly lends itself to that description, as does "Engineer Bill." Lyrically, Gilkyson avoids the trite and clichéd whenever possible, and achieves some real beauty with her words. Indeed, "Persephone" reads like any great poem should, and would not be lacking had it no melody. Gilkyson's band includes guitarists
Matt Andes and
Mike Hardwick, bassist
Glenn Fukunaga, and drummer
Rafael Gayol. Predictably, these guys are not the hotshot A-list players that grace the liner notes of
Britney Spears or even
Sting, but they are steady, solid, and tasteful, just like Gilkyson herself. It's admirable that artists like this exist, making the music they do and offering it up to the world without trying to be the next big trend. Rather, to artists of integrity like Gilkyson, music is in their blood and breath, and it shows.
![Xanadu [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0008811185725_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg "Xanadu [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]")
![Big Hits: High Tide and Green Grass [US] (Remastered)](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0018771900122_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg "Big Hits: High Tide and Green Grass [US] (Remastered)")
