COURAGE - PAULA COLE
“It’s my life / and I am free / to live my life / the way I feel,” Cole sings on her first album after a seven-year self-imposed exile. The words are trite on paper, but lifted by her straining, breathy voice over sparse acoustic guitar and strings, they flower open and become uniquely poignant. The entire 11-song collection is delicate and simple, particularly for Cole, who has a penchant for overly developed historical metaphors and impromptu beatboxing. Here, she resembles Linda Ronstadt, interpreting melodies ranging from positively Gershwinian (”Lonelytown,” a dead ringer for “Someone to Watch Over Me”) to country-inflected (first single “14″) to reggae-lite (”Safe on Your Arms”). “Courage” refocuses attention on what makes Cole superb — her voice — and courses with a genuineness sometimes lacking in her previous work. A welcome return. Billboard
