Fans should give new Indigo Girls CD another listen

After more than twenty years of making music together, the Indigo Girls have developed a formula from which they seldom stray. Though, like all admirable artists, they have certainly experimented and grown from one album to the next, Emily Saliers and Amy Ray know what their musical strengths are and are wise enough to employ them on each of their albums.

Known for their eloquent lyrics and graceful vocal harmonies, the duo delivers a wide array of songs on their ninth studio album, "All That We Let In," that demonstrate their talent as singer/songwriters. The new album follows a familiar formula in terms of its execution, and the two women share the compositional load: Saliers contributes six songs and Ray five. As usual, Ray's compositions are more rock-oriented and driven, while Saliers' tend to be smooth and flowing with an emphasis on ear-pleasing melodies.

One thing is certain about this album: it deserves a second listen. "All That We Let In" can be disappointing at first, even (and perhaps most of all) for the enthusiastic Indigo Girls fan.

At first, the album appears to be proof that the Girls' seemingly never-ending well of creativity has dried up. One might dismiss the lyrics as clich?©d and the greater part of the songs as a failed attempt at musical expansion. However, the more of a chance one gives it, the more this album seems like a success.

As usual, the Indigo Girls deliver a mix of songs that demonstrate their knack for instrumentation. Both Saliers and Ray contribute solid guitar and mandolin playing. Their remarkable talent for writing vocal harmonies plays a large part on this album as well, which is no surprise.

It must be noted, however, that for the most part, the lyrics on this release do not compare to the brilliant writing on past albums such as "Rites of Passage" and "Swamp Ophelia." While the Girls focus again on their persisting themes of love, loss, and political expression, the songs on "All That We Let In" fail to convey their messages in the graceful-yet-pointed way that is characteristic of past releases.

Perhaps the problem is that a devoted Indigo Girls fan must let go of his or her desire that every new album be a re-creation of some of the duo's finest work of the past. To those of you out there who have been listening affectionately over the years, I say this: We must let go of the notion that upon popping in the newest Indigo Girls disc, we will hear the mysterious percussion introduction of "Galileo" or the bright first chords of "Closer To Fine."

Listeners will have to brush off certain moments on the album when the lyrics seem contrived and overstated, such as the chorus of "Come On Home" ("Come on home/The team you're hitched to has a mind of its own") and the entirety of title track "All That We Let In," which loses its meaning in uninteresting lyrics and downright corniness.

This being said, there are certainly bright spots on the record that outshine its low moments. The first song "Fill It Up Again" is catchy and worthy of head-bobbing, it is sure to fall into the category of classic Indigo Girls sing-along tunes. "Dairy Queen" brings us Amy Ray at her finest, and the song is a shining example of her ability to compose driven songs that are both moving and powerful. On the last track, "Rise Up," the duo incorporates a piano part that works successfully to create an almost Elton John-esque mood.

Overall, the newest Indigo Girls release is a success. It comes with a bonus DVD that gives listeners a taste of what they can expect at a live performance: a pair of vocally-blessed friends in worn-out t-shirts and blue jeans who care more about global justice and getting you to vote than impressing you with fancy clothes or fashionable hair-cuts. Of course, they can also play a mean 12-string.