After ten-plus years of making great music, Georgia's Indigo Girls released their first greatest hits type of album. For those who are unfamiliar with their music, Amy Ray and Emily Saliers combine heart-felt lyrics with folky acoustic guitar and beautiful harmonies. Their voices range from raspy and smokey at times to sweet and smooth, depending on what kind of song they are performing. Ray and Saliers are both lesbians which is a popular running topic in their songwriting. Many songs take on an almost "anthem" like quality concerning their homosexuality, but their songwriting takes on a "universal" theme when you actually get to the heart of it. "Retrospective" is a good way for the new fan to discover this duo.
"Retrospective" offers a generous 14 tracks from past releases, plus two new songs "Devotion" and "Leaving" which fit nicely here. The track order is chronological, which is how I prefer to listen to any best of release. Many times you can hear the maturation of the artists, and this cd is no exception. "Strangefire", the opening track, is a somewhat simplistic song that gives the listener a good insight on how these two started and how they have progressed since 1987. "Closer to Fine", arguably the signiture song by these two, captures the true spirit of the duo. The song brilliant describes "the search" that many of us tend to make in life. It's an attempt to make sense out of what happens in our lives. The interplay of acoustic guitars and layers of harmony are probably the best that they've ever done. "Galileo" from 1992's "Rites of Passage" starts off with a great drum beat courtesy off a drum machine. The song deals with the concept of reincarnation and trying to "get it right" in the next life. "Least Complicated" from 1994's "Swamp Ophelia" is another favorite of mine. Featuring explosive drums by veteran Jerry Marotta, the track deals with the appreciation of young love when complications in adult life can distract you from the simple joy of being with someone. "Retrospective" also features a nice selection of songs from the last two studio albums by Indigo Girls. The best of the bunch is "Shame on You". Swirling banjo and an impressive guitar solo gives the song a lot of depth. The song deals with the need to be more tolorant of minority cultures, in this case the hispanic population.
Overall, there are few complaints about this best of release. Of course, I would have taken a couple of songs off to make room for "The Wood Song" and "Ozilline", but this is still a nice collection. If you find "Retrospective" interesting, try "Come On Now Social" and "Swamp Ophelia"; two of my favorite studio albums by the Indigo's.
