For fans of Mindy Smith�s previous work, especially those who may only know the �Jolene� cover tune and the aforementioned �Come to Jesus� (both of which received a fair amount of airplay on the country music video cable station �CMT�), the twelve tracks on Long Island Shores may not pack the same kind of musical punch in terms of upbeat rockers and power chords.  But for what the album may lack in terms of grit, it makes up for with tons of gift.  Mindy Smith has crafted a collection of thoughtful, well-written songs and delivers them with a voice that falls somewhere between that of Patty Griffin and Harriet Wheeler of the early 90�s modern rock band the Sundays�at times soaring, in other moments tender, but always clear and honest and powerful. The songs on Long Island Shores speak of love (both spiritual and personal), of loss, and of home.  The album�s title is drawn from Mindy Smith�s own beginnings growing up in Long Island, NY and the record�s title track speaks to the feelings and memories that coming rushing back as we prepare to re-visit the home of our youth.  For Mindy Smith those memories include the need to �breathe in the harbor wind� to re-call the corner church where her father once preached, and the need to visit the grave of her mother, who passed away in 1994 after a long bout with cancer, planting �yellow roses at her stone�.  For many of us, home is an ever-changing place and following the passing of her mother, Mindy and her father moved to Tennessee.  In song Smith sets out to capture her feelings towards the place that has become her new home in the song � Tennessee�.  Smith sings that �your daytime seems like Cash and Patsy Cline� and how over time she has become �rooted in your soil�.  �Tennessee,� she states, �you�ve been good to me / Yes, I�ve come to believe you�re where I wanna be.� Tennessee seems to be well-represented not only in song, but also in talent as Smith is joined by two of Nashville�s finest guitar slingers. Both Bryan Sutton on acoustic guitar and Buddy Miller on electric guitar make noteworthy contributions on a half a dozen of Long Island Shores� twelve songs, with Miller also adding vocals to the duet �What if the World Stops Turning.�  Songs of faith and spirituality once again play a big part in Mindy Smith�s music as showcased on the album�s opening track �Out Loud� and later on in the album�s only real rocker of sorts, �I�m Not the Only One Asking�.  The album�s high point is the second track �Little Devil� which re-casts the devil as beautiful temptation with baby blues eyes and features the album�s best musical and vocal moments.  Mindy�s voice soars while her band, which includes Sutton and Miller on guitar, Lex Price on mandolin, Eddie Bayers on drums and Reese Wynans on organ, really give this one a driving bounce. Overall, Long Island  Shores is in no way a departure from Mindy Smith�s earlier work.  For those who really dug into her debut album, this follow-up effort will not disappoint in the least.  The album also proves that Smith deserved all the praise and accolades that came her way at the start of her career.  This new collection highlights her growth as both an artist and as a song writer.  Spend some time with this one; let it sink for awhile�the real beauty of Long Island  Shores is its heart, and as Mindy Smith sets out to prove�so much of that heart is found in the places we all call Home.

  It�s all of the above and more. Mindy is a wonderful, complex performer, unafraid to pour out heart, emotion and spirit for all who�ll listen�one of the more talented new performers around�and living proof that not everything coming out of Nashville is garbage. Course, Mindy isn�t from Nashville. Even worse than that. She�s a Yankee. From Long Island, no less. That�s OK Mindy. You had no choice in the matter. Good is good, no matter where it comes from. Mindy hasn�t been around the music scene long, but she made a big splash with a rendition of Jolene, which blew listeners away and put her voice on a tribute to Dolly Parton album that brought widespread recognition. Put simply, she did it better than the original or anyone else that tried. Before the first CD had been released, Mindy was featured on the Jay Leno show, had a music video on CMT, and had music executives scrambling to sign her. Not to mention Dolly Parton backing her. Mindy went against the tide and signed with Vanguard, an independent label, so she could do things her way. I call this integrity. Doing things your own way, refusing to alter your message even when it means walking away from a potential pile of money. When the CD did come out, the Americana Music Association named Mindy emerging artist of the year (2004). Mindy first caught my ear with Come to Jesus, a wonderful prayer and a profession of faith set to music. Faith is not always well received in this day and time; hypocrisy rules in most churches and it�s not cool to sing about Jesus outside of the confines of church, (now Buddha�s legal, Jesus ain�t ~ Jason Boland). Mindy is the real deal: a person struggling through life, honest about the battle she faces, unabashedly pleading for help, comfort, and guidance, and finding it in good measure. You�re liable to find a dose of relief in her music as well. While some might think this an impediment, a minister and his wife adopted Mindy as an infant. Mindy considers herself blessed. Her adoptive mother played a big role in Mindy�s life and introduced her to music. Another cruel twist awaited her; cancer claimed her mother�s life when Mindy was 19. We all need a mom. While Mindy�s is no longer alive, I assure you she�s still with her in spirit. Mindy drew inspiration for One Moment More from her loss. I listen to music for a variety of reasons and it takes different types to fill my needs and changing moods. Mindy comes to mind when I want a quiet, comforting sound, food for the soul with a touch only a virtuous woman can offer. Should you someday find yourself in need of that, you know where to look. Her website says she�s hard at work on a new CD. I�m anxious to hear it. Here�s an excellent interview on NPR: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1623076 Her website: http://www.mindysmith.net/default.asp Her site at myspace.com: http://www.myspace.com/mindysmith And finally, her page at the Lonestar music store: http://lonestarmusic.com/artists.asp?id=942-------------------- About the Author - Don Henry Ford, Jr. When Don's not writing books he lends out his talent to Americana Roots to put together great articles like this. If you've enjoyed what you read, then pick up Don's latest book Contrabando: Confessions of a Drug Smuggling Cowboy at your local bookstore or online at Cinco Puntos Press.