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Hersh's songwriting on SKY MOTEL is as strong and idiosyncratic as ever, but the electric guitars and David Narcizo on drums give each track an added punch that make this her most accessible solo effort yet. The powerful "Echo" makes an excellent opening. "A Cleaner Light" is a rarity in pop music, a track that is both artistically viable and radio-friendly. "Cathedral Heat" is perhaps the album's highest peak, as Kristin sings "kissing in the middle of a terrible storm." The quiet "Faith" trails off to mark the end of this worthy album.

Forgetting about individual tracks and looking at the album as a whole, this disc takes time to grow on the listener, but it ultimately satisfies. Kristin Hersh's lyricism is certainly out of the ordinary, but once you get the core essence of the album, it all flows well.

For those who have yet to hear Kristin, I would recommend this over her two previous solo albums, HIPS AND MAKERS and STRANGE ANGELS, as the electric guitars of SKY MOTEL give it a wide range of appeal.


The hayseed with the song in his heart...   June 3, 2003
 5 out of 5 found this review helpful

Amazon made a mistake with the track listings - this is what they really are:

1. Echo
2. White Trash Moon
3. Fog
4. Costa Rica
5. A Cleaner Light
6. San Francisco
7. Cathedral Heat
8. Husk
9. Caffeine
10. Spring
11. Clay Feet
12. Faith

It's a really good album, not Kristin's best offering, but still 99% better than most of the junk on the radio. Some of Kristin's most rock-style songs are here featuring her usual brand of witty poetic lyrics, that beautifully raspy voice and some sonic experimentation - notice the chirping crickets which both open and close the album. If you're a first time Kristin listener I'd recommend "Sunny Border Blue" or "Strange Angels" first, and later checking out this album and "The Grotto."


arrest the boy....   December 20, 2000
 3 out of 4 found this review helpful

Is this CD as good as "Hips & Makers?" Maybe or maybe not but it is better than just about everything else in the singer/songwriter category that's come up recently. We could opine on the comparisons between these two CDs but at some point we're splitting hairs. One thing is clear though. What goes on in Kristin Hersh's head is the lords own private mystery. She has an ability to tap into a stream of conscious that turns me green with envy. Her signature moving bass line finger style guitar playing has a voice all its own that fits perfectly with her eclectic poetry.


It took me several years...   March 10, 2003
 3 out of 6 found this review helpful

I didn't buy this album until January 2003. First I thought it was an album that I already had, silly me I confused it with "Strange Angels." After borrowing it from my boyfriend, I realized that I needed to buy it!

I've been a Throwing Muses fan since 1990 and was ecstatic when Kristin put out "Hips & Makers." I didn't like "Strange Angels" the first time through and for some reason didn't listen to it for several years. I saw her live in 2001 purchasing "Sunny Border Blue" after the show. I didn't realize that I had missed "Sunny Border Blue" coming out because I was so out of the music loop. I hardly knew that the bands I liked had new albums coming out.

So I bought this album after borrowing it from my boyfriend and realizing that a lot of the songs on the Works In Progress II were from "Sky Motel."

I love this album now! I particularly love "White Trash Moon" after hearing Kristin's story behind the song. "Fog" is a great song too. And "Cleaner Light" has been stuck in my head many times! "Clay Feet" makes me think of Kristin playing on the kitchen floor with her boys, and reminds me of "skating" around the kitchen in my stocking feet as a kid.