Not Going Anywhere - Keren Ann

Not Going Anywhere sees Keren Ann Zeidel operating in the same hushed tones as her previous albums and once again collaborating with Benjamin Biolay. While Zeidel has been compared to Dido and Portishead in the past, few would make similar comparisons this time around as trip-hop vibes really appear only on the playful "Sailor & Widow." Otherwise, the pace is held steady around 20 BPM and more frequently there are no beats at all. Instead, Zeidel frolics in a whispery, moody genre that might be appropriately labeled neo-folk, late-night lullaby. On the somewhat unsettling songs "End of May" and "Right Now & Right Here," Zeidel's voice is a dead-ringer for Lisa Germano, and since the music mostly consists of quietly strummed acoustic guitars, pianos, and violins, the music seems equally Germano-esque. On these songs, one can't help but note similarities to Mary Timony's dark lullabies as well. But where Germano and Timony traverse in adult themes, Zeidel and Biolay's songs would be a perfect fit for a toddler's nursery rhyme album. A very hip toddler's nursery rhyme album, that is. Elsewhere, a number of other influences are apparent, from the Belle & Sebastian-flavored title track to a series of tunes near the album's close that seem touched by the hands of Van Dyke Parks or Rufus Wainwright. Lush, minimal, and always gentle, Not Going Anywhere reaffirms Zeidel's gorgeous voice and should be a soundtrack for the hippest coffeehouses around the globe. ~ Tim DiGravina, All Music Guide