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Written by Kevin Renick Saturday, 13 October 2007 12:49

Mariee Sioux's debut full-length is a spine-tingling showcase of her nimble finger-picking, sweetly feminine voice and lyrically eloquent narratives.

One voice and an acoustic guitar is one of pop music's most enduring creative templates, but it's hard to make that elementary approach sound fresh on record these days. The cringe-o-meter is especially sensitive when some doe-eyed folkie type tries to capture your heart with their G, C, D chord progression and sincere emote-athon. So it's truly a pleasure when someone like Mariee Sioux, of Nevada City, Calif., comes along and just aces the style.

Faces in the Rocks, Sioux's debut full-length, is a spine-tingling showcase of her nimble finger-picking, sweetly feminine voice and lyrically eloquent narratives. There's a prominent Native American spirit on the record, partially due to Gentle Thunder's Native flute and percussion (he also co-produced) and partially owing to thematic concerns about the environment and various soul quests. "Friendboats" is a sparkling gem, with Sioux's playing and her lovely voice reaching a crescendo of emotive purity. Also strong are the energetic "Wizard Flurry Home," the hypnotically repetitive "Flowers and Blood" and the evocative campfire-style "Bravitzlana Rubakalva."

Sioux has real conviction in every sentiment she expresses, and it's never cloying or pretentious. "We will drop our lanterns in the darkness/ We will dance all bright in fire," she sings in this powerful song about a fictional, idealized country. Sioux has succeeded in making beautiful, pristinely recorded acoustic music that's perfect for scenic drives, couch-tripping reverie, or wide-eyed moments of sunset reflection... B+ | Kevin Renick

RIYL: Emiliana Torrini, early Joni Mitchell, Nick Drake