Eilen Jewell Band

As hard as it is to categorize Eilen Jewell's music - terms like alt-country, roots-rock, country-noir and Americana get used a lot - it's even harder not to become thoroughly enraptured by the singer/songwriter's powerful versatility, musical stories and images. And that gorgeous voice makes you feel like she's singing just for you, out on the breezy back porch or by a crackling campfire. She does so much, so well.

A few examples: Butcher Holler, Jewell's acclaimed 2010 tribute to Loretta Lynn, underscores her love for tough traditional country music, coal miner's daughter style, while her electrifying cover of Shakin' All Over, originally a 1960 chart-topping British hit for Johnny Kidd and the Pirates, was one of the surprise highlights of 2009's Sea of Tears. Propelled by Jerry Miller's shimmering guitar dazzle, the song remains a live showstopper where hints of '60s surf instrumentals and "Paint It, Black" are deftly thrown in for good measure. On 2011's Queen of the Minor Key, featuring guest appearances from the likes of Big Sandy and Zoe Muth, Jewell penned all the songs. One of its radio favorites is Warning Signs, with references to a black widow, a rattlesnake, and a beady-eyed raven. Jewell calls the song "creepy." The Boston Globe called Minor Key, "emotionally raw and riveting," and an NPR commentator declared, "She's got a sweet and clear voice with a killer instinct lurking beneath the shiny surface."

Her latest album, Sundown Over Ghost Town, is a masterful culmination of Jewell's work to date. Rich with cinematic visions, elegant sweet and smoky vocals, and hauntingly autobiographical songs, Sundown is bursting with stellar performances and is likely her most personal, fully realized album yet. And that's saying a lot! The record, with all its songs penned by Jewell, is a poignant, ever-so-flavorful reflection of her return to Boise after nearly a decade in the Northeast.

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