From the liner notes by John Patrick Shanley:
Some singers accost you and insist you listen. Anastasia Barzee does not fall into this camp. Her musicality, her soulful silver peregrinations, go wandering through the overgrown landscapes of love and regret. You have little choice but to follow. On THE MAN WITH THE CHILD IN HIS EYES it becomes clear that women know things that men don’t, but that the knowledge does them no good. The song’s a subtle wonder, but the real revelation is that voice. There were moments in this recording when I could feel Miss Barzee’s voice on my skin. Her intelligence does nothing to get in the way of her sensuality and her emotions. Whether she is leading you to some soft balcony on St. Tropez (SUMMER ME, WINTER ME), or dabbing your honkytonk tears in Nashville, the theme of these tracks is sophistication of the heart. Christ, this woman knows how to say goodbye! If you have any doubt, just listen to the elegiac DINNER AT EIGHT. Or if you are erotically inclined, try on the sultry supernatural sexiness of LILAC WINE or NOTHING LIKE YOU’VE EVER KNOWN. My advice? Step back from the hurly burly of modern life, pour a glass of dandelion wine, and abandon your heart and mind to this beguiling enchantress. Her magic is good.
Brian d’Arcy James features on:
Track 5: The Dimming of the Day