If you like Liz Phair, you'll probably enjoy Virginia Dare's "Baby Got Away." This trio of San Francisco fringe-music scenesters tackles similar day-to-day matters but lacks Phair's passion and gusto.
Shades of a sloppy Keith Richards can be found in Brad Johnson's uninspired guitar. Singer/autoharpist Mary O'Neill's voice strikes me as unremarkably flat, and her lyrics don't make up for it. And a missing drummer robs Virginia Dare of its potential. Production quality is top-notch, though, because of bassist Greg Freeman's day job as one of the Bay area's premier recording engineers. Almost every song is resoundingly depressing without a trace of irony.
This baby did get away. Better luck next time.
