This came out in 2001 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
In an era when so many popular singers are about as deep as a birdbath, we need the Shannon Wrights of the world more than ever.
We need them because they deliver us from the dreck — in her case, with a slate of earthy Southern gothic chamber-folk, introspective yet edgy piano ballads and loose, ragged indie-rock. We need them for their distinctive voices and expressive songcraft — which Wright manifests in intensely grave, literary lyrics that contrast yet complement the ethereal beauty of her music, giving her a sound vaguely reminiscent yet undeniably her own. But ultimately, we need artists like Wright — and albums like Dyed in the Wool — because they show us their hearts and souls instead of their bellybuttons. And last time I checked, that’s what music was supposed to be.
