Robin Holcomb - Rockabye (1992)

Rockabye, Robin Holcomb's second album, uses more familiar song structures (i.e., verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge) than her debut, which bore little resemblance to any other musical genre. This time, Holcomb draws on just about every American genre invented before, say, 1974 -- traditional folk music, country, classic rock, jazz, carnival music, Dixie brass, soul -- but the album is unified by her distinctive, earthy vocals and her staccato piano playing (her keyboard and vocal style seem to be inseparable from her personality). Holcomb's lyrics also fit the description of "earthy": her poetic explorations of personal pain and communal responsibility are pervaded by a sense of interconnection with the land. Wayne Horvitz produced this eclectic brew, and Peter Holsapple appears on a few tracks as both a guitarist and a co-producer.