Nora Jane's Carnival comprises 14 fresh original compositions in her classic Americana vein that richly show off her skills as a sensitive and intelligent tune-weaver and a warm and persuasive vocalist.
Struthers now emerges as a band leader with a smart, affecting cycle of songs sporting a timeline that stretches from the antebellum 19th-century South to the middle of the last century. Reflecting her background in literature - she taught English before undertaking a full-time career in music in 2008 - the tunes are deftly-told stories that survey the American terrain from a uniquely focused point of view.