EDIE CAREY

Bring the Sea

ediecarey.com

Artists like Edie Carey provide a valuable, if underappreciated, public service. As per her official bio, Carey occupies that “middle ground between singing at weddings and being Madonna,” and while she might never be a pop star, this strumming balladeer poetess writes truthful, elegant songs for adults. Her seventh album is about following dreams, starting families, overcoming insecurity and losing the destructive youthful notion that true love has to be painful. Backed by barely-there strings, mandolins, accordions and other instruments, Carey plays acoustic guitar and sings with the gentle, reassuring voice of someone who’s shared her audience’s everyday joys and disappointments. She might not play at your wedding, but she’ll sing about your marriage.