It takes about 32 seconds for Katy Moffatt's deeply passionate voice to grab hold of you: About then, she sings the word "here" on the album's title (and opening) track, infusing wild emotion into a rather emotionless word. Without question, her immaculate alto is the focal point of Angel Town. Eight of the 11 songs are covers---a rarity for Moffatt---and the accompaniment has been stripped bare, leaving only Andrew Hardin's tactful guitar and Hank Bones's bass. Moffatt grabs material from a variety of sources---old pros such as Cindy Walker and Cole Porter, and younger country-folk writers such as David Olney, Steve Goodman, Pat McLaughlin, Chris Smither, and Patrick Sky. Her reading of "Miss Otis Regrets," a jazz and blues standard, brilliantly highlights the irony of Porter's lyrics with a delicate lullaby feel. She shows empathy on Don Williams's "Ghost Story" and conveys remarkable honesty and sensitivity on Walker's "You Don't Know Me." Her three originals (co-written with Tom Russell) fit the album's subdued mood perfectly. Moffatt's ability to combine tenderness with intensity, and fragility with self-assuredness shines brightlythroughout this peaceful, lovely record.
--Marc Greilsamer, Amazon.com
Katy Moffatt is all perfection and substance, an endearing figure in the music business whose talent is just as admirable. Sturdy and enduring, Katy Moffatt's beauty belies the great strength of character with which she operates. Both in the studio and on stage, Moffatt is a power to be reckoned with. Subtle and soft, she reaches out to her audience and takes them by the heart. As both an interpreter of the work of other songwriters as well as a marvelous voice for her own compositions, Moffatt sparkles. This time around she covers Chris Smither's gigantic blues hit "Love Me Like a Man" with aplomb and grace, while retaining all the baser animal instincts Smither so delicately wove into his song. Just as good is Cole Porter's "Miss Otis Regrets," an out-of-time tidbit that comes to life in an different time and place. Steve Goodman's "I Just Keep Falling in Love" is brilliant. As for herself, Moffatt presents several wonderful tunes which she wrote with longtime friend Tom Russell. "Jigsaw Love Affair," "The Game" and "Mother of Pearl" are reflective of the high caliber of talent both Moffatt and Russell possess. Magnificent is the only word one can use to describe this steely yet gossamer-like project. Katy never sounded better.
-- Jana Pendragon, All-Music Guide
Katy Moffatt: vocals, acoustic guitar
Andrew Hardin: acoustic and electric guitar, tiple
Hank Bones: bass