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Shawn Colvin These Four Walls Review

Album. Released 18 September 2006. Discography information comes from MusicBrainz. You can add or edit information about These Four Walls at musicbrainz.org.

BBC Review

Five years is a long time to wait considering the sheer brilliance of 2001's 'Whole...

Chris Long 2006-11-10

It’s been five years since Shawn Colvin’s last album, discounting the obligatory contract-fulfilling Greatest Hits. The wait has been a long one, considering the sheer brilliance of 2001’s 'Whole New You'.

Half a decade later, you would have thought that Colvin could have moved her sound on a little, as she did with each album before. However, 'These Four Walls', appears to be a weaker version of the last outing.

Not that it’s without Colvin’s usual slow-burning splendour. "Fill Me Up" has the sweet desperation of her most beautiful songs and it’s joined on that pedestal by the whimsical "Summer Dress" and "The Bird’s" off-kilter country.

There’s little doubt that Colvin is at a point in her career when she can get away with a little free-wheeling, so we’ll forgive her this one, but, given that she’s won Grammys for her work before, one chance is all she’s going to get.

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