Laura Veirs - July Flame

And so Laura Veirs continues to teeter on the edge of becoming something special. She scored high points for the chilly space folk of 2004’s Carbon Glacier, but suffered a little bland-out on the higher-production follow-up, Year of Meteors. This listener sat out 2007’s Saltbreakers – it felt as if two Laura Veirs albums were enough for anyone. Veirs has the songwriting chops to match most, and lovely though her voice is, she just doesn’t have the same charisma.on record as the likes of Joanna Newsom or Neko Case.

July Flame doesn’t advance her case on the charisma front, but it is perhaps her best collection of songs yet. The palette is more varied than previously, My Morning Jacket’s Jim James lends gorgeous backing vocals throughout – and some of these songs are just fantastic. The crashing percussion and gorgeous, circular guitar melody underpinning Silo Song work to stunning effect. At 2:30 long, the only disappointment is it doesn’t go on at least a minute longer. She follows it up with Little Deschutes, the dreamy, stately piano reminiscent of Grizzly Bear’s unimpeachable Foreground, and very nearly as good. 'Wide Eyed, Legless' shows she can up the tempo to equally good effect. The pastoral arrangements are a sure-fire winner. When she’s this good, she’s exceptional.

At 13 songs, July Flame gets waylaid in a couple of spots. The acoustic, folksy tracks aren’t as captivating as her dreamier numbers, and the mind drifts during these. Sandwiched between 'Silo Song' and the equally good title track, 'Sun is King' sounds inconsequential by comparison. Similarly, 'Sleeper In The Valley', tucked away in the final quarter of the album, doesn’t enhance the record in any way. Still, these are minor complaints. If you’re of the opinion that Laura Veirs’ best performance was on someone else’s record (her brilliant duet with Colin Meloy on The Decemberists’ 'Yankee Bayonet'), there is plenty here to change your mind.