capsule reviews of miscellaneous titles by
MARIA MCKEE

Maria McKee
Life is Sweet   (1996)

Comments: With this intense, intimate, honest tour de force, Maria McKee, armed with her own guitars, storms back from a slump with an album that equals in craftsmanship, poetry, and power anything she did with Lone Justice. This is as raw and soul-searching as anything I heard this decade, and I doubt you’ll find a more gifted vocalist with the songwriting talents and courage to match. Her faith sounds out strong amidst sexual and spiritual crises, and the dissonant guitars carry her anxiety and her prayers from punk rock to an almost operatic melodrama.

Outstanding tracks:  "Absolutely Barking Stars", "I'm Awake", "Human", "Carried'

Jeffrey's Sum-Up: Excellent