The pinched and cracked brassiness of Karen Dalton’s voice is somewhat reminiscent of Billy Holiday, but Dalton is a true original. Filled with haunting, earthy folk that sounds like it was recorded in an abandoned Appalachian shack, her albums are filled with gently meandering songs that flutter with ache and sorrow and simmering passion. Dalton didn’t write her own material, but she was a master of interpretation, performing absolutely spellbinding renditions of other people’s work, whether traditional pieces or songs written by her peers in the Greenwich Village scene, such as Tim Hardin or Fred Neil. Her recorded output is woefully small, but not to be missed. When she sings, it is as if she speaks directly to you, and you alone.
This LP-length playlist features a selection of the best tracks from the two albums she released in her lifetime. I was going to add some songs from her posthumously released home recordings, but decided when listening to the whole that those tracks were generally of lesser quality and interest. (Those wishing to delve deeper should check out 1966, which has some pretty fine stuff.)
Cover Art Citation:
- Green Rocky Road: Source, Discogs.com
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