After a long career in both mainstream and women's music, Tret Fure has evolved a passionate, carefully modulated brand of folk-rock that's a testament to her devotion to the craft of songwriting. On True Compass, with help from some of Madison's most reliable musicians, she shows her impressive range by bringing her plainspoken poetry to subjects as different as the endless war in Iraq, the strength and constancy of a special love, and the fading small towns that were once the backbone of America.
It's a cinch that folk fans of all stripes will appreciate the stirring folk-pop of "Leap of Faith" and the bittersweet vibe of "Six Beers," a dead-on sketch of the long, self-pitying nights that follow a breakup. But Fure also has material for a broader audience. Indeed, the light Latin jazz-pop of the hooky title track wouldn't sound out of place on the sound system of your favorite coffee place.
