Abi Tapia
One Foot Out The Door

Folk singer Abi Tapia may be new to Texas, but she's got the sound of a Hill County Americana local. If I didn't know she recently arrived from Maine, I'd have thought she spent years studying Susan Gibson, Terri Hendrix, and Shelley King.

She's got some high-power help on instrumentation including Kym Warner and Eamon McLoughlin (The Greencards), Glen Fukunaga and Paul Pearcy (Terri Hendrix), and Mike Hardwick (Eliza Gilkyson). But the main focus of this album is Tapia's vocals and songwriting.

Tapia shines bright during a couple of songs that have minimal instrumentation. "The Way To My Heart" which features Tapia's acoustic guitar and McLoughlin's violin is a raw and honest track. The album closer with producer Chris Gage on Dobro, "Somewhere To Go," goes a long way to showcase Tapia's vocals.

The beautiful nomadic ballad "For A While" is one of the standouts with an Allison Kraus and Union Station feel to it. "Cause I was tired for a while / Then I was scared for a while / Then I was in love for a while / With One Foot Out The Door."

"Selective Memory" is one of the more interesting love songs I've heard in a while...with a little dooby dooby do in the middle. The harmonica and piano driven "Nothing to Hold Me Down" rocks along nicely. The obligatory in Texas song "Lone Star" is nice, but seems like an unnecessary addition in this collection of tunes.

Tapia's One Foot Out The Door is a wonderful addition to any CD collection. If you've ever heard of and enjoyed any of the people or bands I've mentioned above, you'll strike gold with this album.