Rachael Yamagata: Elephants... Teeth Sinking into Heart

My friend Marsha Vdovin from Universal Audio turned me on to this album and I really liked it on first listen. Then I read the credits and learned that most of it was produced by Mike Mogis [Tape Op # 51]. Ah-ha, that explains the spot-on production and arrangements. Mike continues to be one of the most rock-solid but low-key producers around. Always supportive of the artist and bringing out their voice and vision. This is actually two separate albums on two CDs. Elephant is quieter and sparser, while Teeth Sinking... is louder and more in the 'rock' idiom. I tended to like the quieter songs more, especially the sparse piano and string centered tracks. Two of the 14 tracks were produced by John Algia. The Mogis tracks were engineered by Matthew Cullen, and the Algia tracks by Brian Scheuble and Jon Altschiller. Assistants included Brian Smith, Jeff Robinette, Chris Harden, Sean O'Keefe, and Mark McKenna. No mastering or studio credits. (www.rachaelyamagata.com) -JB