Music Review: Paula Cole - Ithaca

The GRAMMY Award-winner, and one of the preeminent female singer/songwriters of our generation, Paula Cole, journeys to ITHACA on her deeply personal new album to be released on September 21st (Universal/Decca Records).

From the press release:
On her fifth album ITHACA, Cole takes listeners on an intensely emotional, yet uplifting journey through divorce ("The Hard Way," "P.R.E.N.U.P") and the struggle to recover one's identity ("Elegy," "Waiting on a Miracle") before allowing herself to revel in the healing. Along the way, she acknowledges being torn between work and her daughter ("Somethin' I've Gotta Say"), and ultimately celebrates having music to get her through it all ("Music In Me").


The 42-year-old mother, who’s young daughter suffers from severe asthma, has penned some defining music over the years for women, including “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?” and the theme to Dawson’s Creek, “I Don’t Wanna Wait.” Says Cole, "My albums are like Polaroid snapshots of my life. The writing is the hard part because my process is highly personal and autobiographical. This new album reflects me processing the things in life we all face on a daily basis."

My thoughts:
If you're looking for an album that is honest music that leaves you feeling like you know the singer, then this is the album for you.  I was drawn into Paula Cole's music, her voice, the lyrics, and the story that was being told as I listened.  I felt a need to listen to the entire CD to understand the entire story and to feel the raw emotion.  The background music went well with her vocals and  you could feel the honesty in her voice.  I am not normally drawn into listening to an entire CD, but Paula Cole's Ithaca was definitely a must listen for me!  This CD is real life and the struggles that go along with living it.  It truly defines the life of being a woman in all the details (pleasant or not).
You can find out more about Paula Cole and the new album on her MySpace page!  You can also follow her on Twitter or like her on Facebook!  You can purchase the CD beginning today (September 21, 2010) at retailers or online.

Disclosure:  I received a pre-release review copy of this CD to facilitate my review.  No further compensation was received.