The first thing most will notice when listening to this album--or indeed any of Shenandoah Davis' elegant and engaging body of folk music--is that she sounds remarkably like indie-folk's current leading lady, Joanna Newsom (who is, of Davis' own admission, a large influence on her music). For fans of the harp-wielding musician (myself included), this is an immediate plus and an excellent reason to listen to the whole album. The second thing most will notice, however, as you give the album its deserving complete listen, in many ways Shenandoah Davis' music doesn't simply resemble Newsom's, but surpasses it.

It shows in the intense classical operatic training that shaped Davis' voice. A voice that, while operating in the same warbly contralto (almost, at times falsetto-sounding) range, is more tightly-reined in. A voice that began its honing in the homespun style of Newsom's own, albeit at the base of the Adirondack Mountains rather than Nevada City. The voice was then supplemented by her tenure as a classical vocal major in college--a major she was admitted to after auditioning for the position using only the vocal training she had given herself while being homeschooled by her mother. A voice in short, while similar to Newsom's in timbre, is more refined in many ways; A cloth of a finer weave (if only by the virtue of her education in the subject).

Her potential usurping of Newsom shows, as well, in the orchestral scope and variety of Davis' music on The Company We Keep. While baroque expressions are something Newsom doesn't lack in her own music, it is nevertheless impressive from such a comparably fresh-faced artist. Davis' piano, which she started playing at the age of three, makes an appearance in every song in various forms. At times, it's a dark, swelling march of minor chords played on an acoustic, dominating songs like "Anywhere" and "Sewn Up Tight." Other times, it's bubbly, off-kilter synthesizer accompaniment, like on "Separate Houses." The piano is always, however, beautifully textured and produced. There are also a host of other instruments on the album, such as violin, guitar, and banjo--the latter two of which are, strangely enough, called by Shenandoah Davis "Played-alone-in-the-bedroom-kind-of-instruments," despite her obvious skills with each.

But enough comparisons, because Davis can perfectly stand on her own merits. She's no Newsom clone, nor is she a Newsom killer. She's Shenandoah Davis, whose second album The Company We Keep, is a tightly-woven, gorgeous indie-folk package you're gonna want to keep in your back pocket for a special occasion, because of songs like this:

"Oh, Captain," the second track on the album, which while not showcasing her prolific piano talent, does exhibit better than many other tracks on The Company We Keep, Davis' ability to really weave together different instruments to create a cohesive whole. It's a track not overly dependent on a single instrument or hook, refreshing in its culminate nature. The result is at first a lilting, melancholy track buoyed upwards by a strong strings section and pushed forward by Davis' voice which laments, "Oh, what are we to do / What are we to do with you now," until about halfway through the song, at which point the strings section switches roles and becomes the engine for the song, rather than the suspension, driving the song forward along the top of steady tom fills, in a sort of bastardized Eastern European swinging rhythm.

Or "Proof," as opposed to "Oh, Captain," is reliant completely on Davis' piano, which is played in a sort of quasi-ragtime, upbeat style, sure to have you smiling as you listen to it as you drive, windows down in the last couple of summer months.

Whatever song you choose though, it will be good, pure indie-folk. Which, unfortunately, is where her one problem lies.

Although all of The Company We Keep is great indie-folk, it all sounds, to the casual observer, the same. Her songs, while well crafted and varying in instrumentation, often time share the same tempo or mood, which to some can be kind of a turn off. Essentially, what Shenandoah Davis has done with this album is found something she's damn good at, and stuck with it quite strictly. In fact, I'd say The Company We Keep is some of the best music out of the indie-folk genre I've heard released recently; you just need to pay close attention to appreciate each song. Otherwise, it can become a semi-sad blur of well played piano and a high voice cooing.

In other words, what you get out of this album is what you put in. The more you pay attention, the better it gets. The catch being it's easy to drift off to her dreamy melodies and sometimes repetitive lyrics. After all's said and done, though, the same can be said about most music, and for dedicated listeners, I would recommend this album one hundred percent--I'm certain you'll enjoy. It's hard not to.

Track List
1. So Many
2. Oh, Captain
3.Separate Houses
4. Sewn Up Tight
5. Proof
6. The Loudest
7. Oh Way Oh
8. Pellet Gun
9. Throne
10. White Wind
11. Duet
12. Anywhere