Mockingbird
Studio album by
Allison Moorer
ReleasedFebruary 18, 2008 (2008-02-18)
GenreFolk
Length47:38
LabelNew Line Records
ProducerBuddy Miller
Allison Moorer chronology
Getting Somewhere
(2006)		 Mockingbird
(2008)		 Crows
(2010)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic [1]
American Songwriter[2]
Slant Magazine[3]
Austin Chronicle[4]

Mockingbird is an album of covers by Allison Moorer released in 2008. Moorer covers songs by Nina Simone, Patti Smith, Cat Power, June Carter Cash, Joni Mitchell, as well as her sister Shelby Lynne.[5]

Critical reception

Mockingbird was produced by Buddy Miller. In his review for AllMusic, Thom Jurek wrote that it "is a natural sounding set of covers that runs the gamut from rock and barrelhouse blues, to jazz, country, and traditional and indie folk." The title track, the only original song on the album, written by Moorer, is "a breezy acoustic ballad." Moore's rendition of Patti Smith's 'Dancing Barefoot' "has to be heard to be believed" and is "a contender for best track on the set." After raving over Moorer's creative and emotional interpretations of many of the album's other tracks, Jurek concludes by claiming that Mockingbird is her "warmest, most ambitious, and gutsy record yet."[1]

Holly Gleason of American Songwriter writes, "Strength has always been Oscar-nominee Allison Moorer’s suit-and at a time when she enlists roots wizard Buddy Miller to ply an even more organic stew of instruments, the Alabama-born singer/songwriter makes herself even more vulnerable by jettisoning what she knows for what she feels, thinks, believes."[2]

Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine says, "Moorer belongs in any serious conversation about the finest vocalists in modern popular music, and Mockingbird gives her ample opportunities to showcase her interpretive skills and to push herself in new directions."[3]

Jim Caligiuri of the Austin Chronicle concludes his review with, "With only one self-penned song, the title track, Moorer's songwriting career is seemingly on hold. The effortless Mockingbird proves she doesn't need to write to make music that's all her own."[4]

Metacritic gives the album a 67 Metascore based on 12 official critic reviews.

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Mockingbird"Allison Moorer3:18
2."Ring of Fire"June Carter Cash, Merle Kilgore3:01
3."Dancing Barefoot"Jay Dee Daugherty, Ivan Král, Patti Smith4:21
4."I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl"Nina Simone2:38
5."Go, Leave"Kate McGarrigle3:40
6."Revelator"David Rawlings, Gillian Welch5:44
7."Both Sides Now"Joni Mitchell4:31
8."Daddy Goodbye Blues"Thomas Dorsey3:59
9."She Knows Where She Goes"Bill Bottrell, Shelby Lynne4:20
10."Orphan Train"Julie Miller5:45
11."Where Is My Love"Chan Marshall3:26
12."I'm Looking for Blue Eyes"Jessi Colter2:57
Total length:47:40

Personnel

Chart performance

Chart (2008) Peak
position
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[6] 18
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[7] 44

References

  1. 1 2 Jurek, Thom. Mockingbird at AllMusic
  2. 1 2 Gleason, Holly (1 March 2008). "Allison Moorer > Mockingbird". americansongwriter.com. American Songwriter. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  3. 1 2 Keefe, Jonathan (10 February 2010). "Review: Allison Moorer, Mockingbird". slantmagazine.com. Slant Magazine. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  4. 1 2 Caligiuri, Jim (25 April 2008). "Review: Allison Moorer, Mockingbird". austinchronicle.com. Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  5. ↑ Facemire, Glenda Pierce (2009). Music in the Kitchen: Favorite Recipes from Austin City. University of Texas Press. p. 34. ISBN 0292718152.
  6. ↑ "Allison Moorer Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard.
  7. ↑ "Allison Moorer Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard.
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