Over the latter half of 2006, Krista Detor’s ‘Mudshow’ has been picking up some excellent reviews in Europe, but has stayed below most people’s radar, making it one of the best kept secrets of the year.
One listen through the disc and the question you ask is ‘why hasn’t this made a real impact?’ – it’s full of real quality at every turn and appears to have everything to make it the almost perfect singer/songwriter album.
‘Mudshow’ is structured around Krista’s piano playing, and her range and ability to create different moods over the 13 songs is superb, and while I naturally prefer acoustic guitar based albums, this collection makes the strongest case for piano singer/songwriters I’ve heard for many years.
The nearest comparison would be with Patty Griffin, and the same elements are present – where lyrics, arrangements, atmosphere, intelligence and self-control all come together to create a compelling whole.
The piano work is added to by fairly traditional instrumentation including accordion, mandolin, dobro and fiddle and this instrumentation creates a familiar singer/songwriter sound but the prominence of the piano gives it a fresh feel.
There are some beautiful songs here, and the quality is high throughout, with particular standouts being ‘Abigayle’s Song’, ‘Dancing in a Minefield’ and ‘The Ghosts of Peach Street’.
This is an album of the highest quality and deserves to be heard and enjoyed by a wide range of people, but obviously it’s almost certain to remain a secret amongst acoustic singer/songwriter fans. Very highly recommended.

£13.49