After creating a buzz in New England as a member of the band Knots and Crosses,
Carol Noonan went solo with the excellent
Absolution. This extremely promising disc made it quite obvious that
Noonan (who combines folk with rock, country and pop) was as fine a composer as she was a vocalist.
Joni Mitchell,
Joan Baez,
Sandy Denny and
Judy Collins were all influences on the Maine resident and Boston-area native, but when she passionately embraces gems like "Come Undone," "Heaven" and the title song, there's no question that
Noonan has a very appealing style of her own. Especially poignant is "Hard Way," which describes the struggle of a man who has recently become a paraplegic. The CD didn't make
Noonan a really big name, though one hoped that eventually, she would become exactly that. ~ Alex Henderson