Laura Minor

It’s predictable: Sensitive lyrics plus an inexperienced vocalist result in guitars and drums that threaten to run things. It happens on the debut of Laura Minor, poet turned singer-songwriter, who nonetheless manages to produce enough gems here to bode well for a musical future. Minor is at her best in moderate-tempo songs like the title cut, a successful tribute to her father, and the alt-country lilt of “Sink Back.” “Poor Sinner” works as a sympathetic paean to human frailty. Her imagery, as in “There are poems and moments of infinite grace / in the dried-up rivers that run across your face” (“As Close to Sacred”) and “In this row of crooked men / I’m looking for a rhyme”(“Rust of the Carolinas”) is perfect for her quavering, heartfelt Julie Miller-like voice. With more confidence and improved articulation, Minor will let her voice take the front on her songs. Her best is yet to come.