Swim With Me

Album Review

California-based singer, songwriter, and acoustic guitarist Allette Brooks continues to showcase her engaging musical talents with her third full-length album, Swim With Me, this one done on her own record label. The indie folk artist is a powerful singer, classically trained, completely competent with a guitar in hand, and gifted when it comes to writing lyrics that can be anything from humorous to poetic to simply out of the ordinary, depending on her intentions and her mood. Brooks performs nearly 200 shows each year, sure to entertain, but her fans won't be disappointed with the efforts she puts forth in her studio recordings either. This album — though done on a small budget compared to many others — carries a number of noteworthy tunes written by Brooks, such as "Never Was," "Rolling Blackout," "Same Room," "Refuge," and "Ice Age." Allette Brooks' music is in line with that of other popular artists like Ani DiFranco, Michelle Shocked, Lucinda Williams, and Beth Nielsen Chapman.