Having explored children’s music in 1998, Shawn Colvin revisits this theme with The Starlighter, drawing from Lullabies and Night Songs, a book with musical arrangements by composer Alec Wilder and illustrations by Maurice Sendak. Colvin invests these venerable songs with innovative interpretations: The traditional rhymes of “Go Tell Aunt Rhody,” “The Cuckoo (Is Such a Pretty Bird)” and “Bobby Shaftoe” are framed in earnest, sophisticated arrangements that belie their melodic simplicity. “The Journey” is a standout, with poignant piano textures accompanying Colvin’s expressive narrative in an eerie tale of nocturnal surrender.
Rating: 10/10
The Starlighter
Amazon Music
Producer: Doug Petty
