This came out in 2004 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Heads up, folks; there’s a new roots songstress on the scene.
Actually, second-generation folkie Jenny Whiteley is hardly a newbie — her self-titled debut CD earned her a Juno in the Roots / Traditional category in 2000. Don’t be surprised if she’s up for the same accolades for her superb sophomore set Hopetown. Backed by a stellar roster of Can-roots mainstays (including members of her musical clan), Whiteley weaves a tapestry of homespun melody, heartfelt emotion and evocative storytelling. These 11 songs come in a variety of traditional styles — the country-folk heartbreak of Burning Of Atlanta, the traditional banjo bluegrass of Needle In A Haystack, the bouncy roots-rock of Drive Anywhere, the honkytonk waltz of I Never Knew (That You Cared), the Waitsian blues of Hallelujah — but are united by an understated delivery and an unvarnished twang that’s as warm, familiar and comfortable as an old flannel workshirt. Spend some time in Jenny’s Hopetown and you’ll feel right at home.
