Shining Brother Shining Sister

Personnel: Jackie Leven (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Deborah Greenwood, Ron Sexsmith, Robert Bly (vocals); David Thomas (spoken vocals); Joe Shaw (guitar); Graham Preskett (mandolin, violin); Geoffrey Burgon (trumpet); David Wrench (Moog synthesizer).Recording information: Bryn Derwen Studios, Bethesda, Wales (2002).Translator: Stephen Michell.One has to wonder what it will take, if anything, for Scottish singer/songwriter Jackie Leven to make a name for himself stateside. His unflinching yet redemptive songs of the dark sides of archetypical manhood, and his unwavering gaze into the abyss to discover meaning and truth in modern life are lushly orchestrated, gorgeously sung, and beautifully rendered, almost unbearably so. On his latest studio effort, Shining Brother, Shining Sister, Leven goes once more into the heart of the matters of the heart with a team that includes David Thomas, Robert Bly, Deborah Greenwood, Ron Sexsmith, Michael Cosgrove, Joe Shaw, and the help o