It"s always a challenge to create a record that"s heavily steeped in antediluvian influences, yet still manages to capture the imagination of listeners in the digital age. But that"s what Grey De Lisle has succeeded in doing with this captivating album, her first for Sugar Hill. A San Diego-raised singer-songwriter best known (until now) for her Hollywood cartoon voiceovers, De Lisle used a small, tight-knit group of musicians while recording on analog equipment in her home studio. The minimalist arrangements frame her dulcet voice with old-timey instruments like autoharp, pedal harmonium, celeste, and piano. The result is a collection of gem-like originals (plus one obscure Kitty Wells cover) that capture the stark beauty and spirit of 19th-century love and disaster ballads in a way that has emotional currency and immediacy for contemporary listeners. --Bob Allen