Holly Cole – The Best of Holly Cole

The Best of Holly Cole
Holly Cole
(Metro Blue – 2000)
by Matthew S. Robinson

From the spare supports of the soaring “Calling You” to the lush strings of an instantly recognizable “Blame it On My Youth,” Canadian chanteuse Holly Cole’s arrangements and internalized delivery make nearly every selection sing on their own and linger sweetly in the musical mind. Re-grooving Lennon and McCartney’s “I’ve Just Seen a Face” and adding a Burt Bachrach bassline to Johnny Nash’s “I Can See Clearly Now,” Cole takes a great song and makes it great again in a new way.

Even though most of her songs have not had much time to age on their own, Cole brings an accelerated timelessness to the works of Elvis Costello (“Allison”), Everything But the Girl (“Don’t Let the Teardrops Rust Your Shining Heart”) Lyle Lovett (“God Will”) and apparent personal favorite Tom Waits, who gets a triple nod which includes a low, bluesy live version of “Train Song.”

Though her selection of material ranges from the truly classic to the contemporary standard, Cole brings an impressive consistency to nearly every note she touches and leads listeners to contemplate and reconsider the songs on their own.