Elegant in simplicity and poetic in delivery, In The Cool presents an uncompromising forcefulness of blues and honky-tonk driven tunes all written by Pieta. Pieta manages to pick you up out of your easy chair and put you on a barstool nursing a beer. Her blues laden vocal delivery swelters like the heat of a hot city sidewalk after the sun goes down.
   The albums opening track, "#807" is like looking at a slice of life from a third story tenement. "In The Cool" has an ingratiating groove that relies on Pieta's slide guitar work, giving it a heavy honky-tonk sound. The drug themed "I Don't Want To Come Down" is tempered by the heart warming "This Old Dress," the story of a home-spun dress "that my momma gave to me."
   Pieta, who is the eldest daughter of Grammy nominated singer-songwriter Greg Brown, has crafted a album worthy of acclaim.

-Wynn Hayden*