Following up the emotional
Destination Anywhere would be tough for any artist. On
Outside the Beauty Salon,
Kahn seems drained of energy. Her vocal delivery is unusually unenthusiastic. Strong songs like "Matador" and "Alice" don't have the urgency of her previous work. The album is boosted by a rock n' country sound that is a nice change of pace for
Kahn, and the guitar work of Tim Duvalier is excellent (especially on "Heather"). ~ Brian Flota