Review by Doug Cornell

If I had never heard Suzanne Vega's self-titled debut masterpiece, this new release from Laura Veirs would be as remarkable as snow in July, gas prices dropping to under a buck, or Bush admitting he's wrong.  But since I consider Suzanne Vega's debut to be among my favorite albums of the last century, I'll be satisfied to say that Year of Meteors is among the best new music of this decade.

Veirs is an unassuming looking young lady, with her preppy oval eyeglasses and pleasantly average appearance.  Her singing is light and whispery, the music features a lot of electric and acoustic guitars, clever snippets of keyboards, and a tight rhythm section.  "Fire Snakes," the opening track, begins with clever acoustic picking and an oddly mesmerizing vocal melody.  The accompaniment from the rhythm section gives the song a pleasant push in the right direction.  The next track, "Galaxies," is one of those radio-friendly tunes that makes you wonder, "Where have I heard this before?"  It rocks in just the right way, as a warbly synth adds texture to this fun track.  Veirs is willing to venture into pop/jazz territory ("Secret Someone"), but she seems most comfortable with the spare acoustic minimalism of "Magnetized" or "Through the Glow."  Tracks like "Rialto," "Parisian Dream," and "Cool Water" have just enough of a rock beat to keep the album flowing in the right direction, and just for fun the band cranks up the guitars for the flat-out-rocker "Black Gold Blues."

Year of Meteors is an often beautiful, very compelling release.  Veirs sounds as if she made exactly the album she was trying to make.  It's got enough modern references to please the college-rock crowd, but it will also be a welcome addition to the collection of any fan of clever acoustic rock.