The Good Graces - 'Sunset Over Saxapahaw'

Atlanta indie folk/pop act The Good Graces is the new project from Kim Ware, the former drummer for Mary O. Harrison and the woman behind Eskimo Kiss Records. In The Good Graces she fulfills the secret dream of drummers everywhere, abandoning her kit in favor of a guitar and lead vocals (along with John McNicholas on guitar and Jim Combs on keys). The result is their catchy and compelling debut album Sunset Over Saxapahaw (which was released in October 2008) with explorations of relationships, self-worth, and bitter break-ups.

As The Good Graces, Ware's sound and delivery remind me most directly of acts like Liz Phair and (especially) The Mountain Goats, with her energy much more focused on capturing an emotional tone than a perfect performance. The lyrics tend to concentrate on romantic relationships, whether ongoing (e.g., "Already Broken"), or at their end (e.g., "Over It"). While this is a well-worn path for pop music, The Good Graces have delivered a very good record that examines these issues with a unique new voice. Ware is skilled at writing catchy hooks, and several of the album's songs are memorable after just a listen or two. "You and Me and Our Ghost" is a personal favorite, as is the ode to autobiography "Who We Are." It's a promising debut, and I hope there is more to come in the near future.

The tracklist for Sunset Over Saxapahaw, with tracks to sample:

01. Promise I Can't Keep
02. You and Me and Our Ghost
03. What's Wrong
04. Stuck Inside
05. Over It
06. Unhappy Ending
07. Already Broken
08. Who We Are
09. Disassembled
10. Real To Me

You can order Sunset Over Saxapahaw now.

The Good Graces live:

1/22 The Cave Chapel Hill, NC
1/23 The Flat Iron, Greensboro, NC
1/24 Evening Muse, Charlotte, NC
2/06 Atlanta Brewing Co., Atlanta, GA
4/04 Kavarna, Atlanta, GA