Laura Gibson La Grande

At times it's haunting, like a forest of nymphs, or a secret society of hippie pirates. Or maybe I'm just thinking of pirates because Laura Gibson's "La Grande" is remarkably similar to Alela Diane's, "The Pirates Gospel," emphasis on "remarkably."

Laura Gibson creates a definite mood, of that she's sure. It's woodsy, it exudes Portland. It's a strong and defiant track paired with soft, silky vocals that carry you along like fog on the mountain. Yes, all this is true, but it's an old story -- one where every man or woman grabs an acoustic and starts to belt out their blues -- there's a couple safe ways to approach it, and there's a unique way to approach it.

In my humble opinion, "La Grande" fails to be different, but it's solid enough to be enjoyed for what it is. Just as the Department of Eagles tickled my fancy for a whole summer with, "No One Does It Like You," Gibson's, "La Grande" shall tickle that fancy too.... at the very least to the end of this post.