Mary Chapin Carpenter, "The Age of Miracles"

85 Billboard Rating

For more than 20 years, Mary Chapin Carpenter has consistently blended insightful observation with melodic hooks and folk-country arrangements. Her 10th studio album, "The Age of Miracles" (and second on Rounder following a run with Columbia that yielded five Grammy Awards), adds a familiar yet essential new chapter to her rich catalog. Musically, the set's highlights include the uptempo "I Put My Ring Back On" (featuring Vince Gill) and first single "The Way I Feel," the latter being the perfect country and triple A radio soundtrack to carefree drives in the upcoming summer months. As the album title suggests, Carpenter contemplates concerns of world issues with optimism. "You think you're just standing still/One day you'll get up that hill," she sings on the joyous, swaying title track. "In the age of miracles is one on the way." With "The Age of Miracles," Carpenter's talents remain timeless.

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