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Title: Wonderful Album, more polished than usual
Review: The follow up to Car Wheels comes very quickly compared to her previous records. I was happy to see that it didn't require 10 more years to hear new studio work from her. As a whole the album is as well composed and heart felt as anything else she's done, however Essence is discernibly different in it's studio minimalism (as opposed to a live quality). She is still wonderfully mournful and exposes a longing that is by now her moniker. However, this album comes off as intentionally bare rather than the stream of consciousness/acoustic sensation that her albums normally give off. This is not to say that it sounds contrived, but rather Essence is the result of lots of work and is trying something different (for her anyway). [Think Vespertine by Bjork]. As an album much more accessible than Car Wheels but misses the natural quality that is so enjoyable about seeing her live and in her self-titled.
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