The great thing about following the career of an artist for a long time is watching said artist evolve and grow. Such is the case with singer/songwriter Orit Shimoni, a true troubadour in every sense of the word. I have watched her grow musically and have had the pleasure of reviewing and enjoying her albums through the years. Her latest effort Lost On the Road to Nowhere, a 13 song collection, is in my humble opinion her best to date. Orit is a modern-day gypsy, really not having a fixed address, but with homes all over the world, literally. Orit was born Isreal, lived in Montreal and recorded this last CD in the home studio of Martin van de Vrught in the Netherlands. The work was produced by the multitalented de Vrught who lent his skills on guitar, lap and pedal steel, banjo and percussion to the tracks and blended in perfectly with Orit’s guitar and allowed the songs and the sincere and gripping vocals be the stars.
There are many standout tracks on this album as Orit digs deep into her soul and allows us to see her heart, exemplified in The Kind of Love, “ I want someone who’ll cover for me” and It Took a Long Time. Her Israeli roots in Jerusalem” When life was simple like water” and Smarter Than Me, drawing a comparison to herself and someone she sees as fitting into a mold. The title may sound self -deprecating but I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t want it any other way. Song For Townes was written in Eindhoven in a bedroom where singer/songwriter Townes Van Zandt had once slept. Bound is another favourite, it’s folky content, melody and vocal takes me back to the early folk days. When You Are a Wanderer speaks to the hazards of being a free spirit and having someone fall in love with you, I know “ you want to give me everything but all I need is space.”
So if you haven’t done so yet, get yourself a copy of this CD and get yourself “lost on the road to nowhere.”
