Connie Converse: How Sad, How Lovely

Label: Lau derette

You gotta love how some things just gather steam on their own and become—well, “hyped” seems the wrong word to apply to this music, such are its humble charms and origins. Connie Converse, the story goes, was perhaps the first proper singer-songwriter in this country, at least in the sense that we use the term today. She wrote and recorded a set of striking songs on acoustic guitar, mainly during the 1950s in NYC, and then, after retreating to Ann Arbor in the ‘60s, removed herself from society altogether in 1974, never to be heard from again. Preserved by her brother, Connie’s songs found their way to WNYC personality David Garland earlier this decade, and the process toward this lovingly annotated and packaged CD really began. It’s a testament to our cynical times (and perhaps my weak character) that I feel compelled to be at least a little suspicious of the veracity of her tale, but you know what? Ultimately, it matters not. Check out the pointed warmth and intelligence within these songs and get lost in a story that unwinds into the mists. (M.L. Thrope)