Zoe Muth
Album: World Of Strangers
Label: Signature Sound
Tracks: 10
Website: http://www.zoemuth.com

To use corporate phraseology, the solo female Americana genre is one of the most highly contested market places in the western hemisphere, so it says something for the impact that Zoe Muth's first two albums had, that I had to play the editor card on this one.

Muth first emerged back in 2009 with the self titled, "Zoe Muth And The Lost High Rollers", that laid the groundwork for the follow up, "Starlight Hotel", the album that started to really give her an international reputation and one that really estblished her as a songwriter and performer to be respected.

Following on from 2011's "Starlight Hotel", Zoe embarked on an extensive period of touring across both the US and Europe before heading back into the studio to record album number three, "World Of Strangers".

One of the things that you notice about "World Of Strangers" is that Muth seems to have let more influences creep in, it's not as straight an album as the previous cuts. There are more European aspects creeping in, "April Fool" isn't just a cover of Ronnie Lane's song, it captures some of the quinisential Englishness on the piece and fuses it into her more honky tonk approach.

Zoe Muth has a wonderful voice, one that is both clear and expressive, I swear sometimes you can almost hear her heart breaking, something that is enhanced by thoughtful use of both strings and piano to complement the guitars and bawdy house percussion.

"World Of Strangers" can only enhance Muth's growing reputation, it's her most confident album to date, but that's achieved without losing that sense of vulnerability when it's required, it's just that she's grown in stature as a performer and this album allows her to show that strength.

Neil King