Caitlin Cary

Ryan Adams may have blazed the path for Whiskeytown violinist Caitlin Cary to embark on her solo career, but two albums in it has become clear that Cary is staying the course all on her own. Armed with a bittersweet voice Cary has chosen to downplay the violin (it hardly makes an appearance here) and concentrate on singing and writing (with the odd harmonium or sitar line thrown in for good measure). The alt-country ethos still underlies her material but where I'm Staying Out really shines is in finding common ground between rebel Nashville and New York pop. Together with various writing partners, Cary has crafted gems as diverse as "Please Break My Heart" (perfect for slow dancing on a dusty pine floor) and the ripcord anticipation of the rocking "Cello Girl," among others. If Cary is indeed staying out on the town, as she sings on the title track, let’s hope it's in the studio working on her next release.