Music comes naturally to Laura Baird’s clan. She’s half of a sister act with Meg Baird, whom you probably know from Espers, her solo records for Drag City or her drumming with Heron Oblivion. Their great-great uncle I.G. Greer cut a side for Paramount and compiled a collection of folk songs that you can access at Appalachian State University. If you’ve heard Glenn Jones’ recent LPs, you’re already familiar with Laura’s transparent production skills and elegant banjo playing. She pulls it all together on I Wish I Were A Sparrow, her first solo LP. Her clear voice and brisk plucking adapt well to traditional material, melding British mythos and Appalachian pathos on cheater’s lament “Cuckoo” and murder ballads “Pretty Polly” and “Dreadful Wind And Rain.” The natural imagery and haunting melodies of her own songs stand right up to the classics.
—Bill Meyer
