Mockingbird (Allison Moorer album)

Mockingbird is an album of covers by Allison Moorer released in 2008. Moorer covers songs by Nina Simone, Patti Smith, Cat Power, June Carter Cash, Joni Mitchell, as well as her sister Shelby Lynne.

Critical reception
Mockingbird was produced by Buddy Miller. In his review for AllMusic, Thom Jurek wrote that it "is a natural sounding set of covers that runs the gamut from rock and barrelhouse blues, to jazz, country, and traditional and indie folk." The title track, the only original song on the album, written by Moorer, is "a breezy acoustic ballad." Moore's rendition of Patti Smith's 'Dancing Barefoot' "has to be heard to be believed" and is "a contender for best track on the set." After raving over Moorer's creative and emotional interpretations of many of the album's other tracks, Jurek concludes by claiming that Mockingbird is her "warmest, most ambitious, and gutsy record yet."

Holly Gleason of American Songwriter writes, "Strength has always been Oscar-nominee Allison Moorer’s suit-and at a time when she enlists roots wizard Buddy Miller to ply an even more organic stew of instruments, the Alabama-born singer/songwriter makes herself even more vulnerable by jettisoning what she knows for what she feels, thinks, believes."

Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine says, "Moorer belongs in any serious conversation about the finest vocalists in modern popular music, and Mockingbird gives her ample opportunities to showcase her interpretive skills and to push herself in new directions."

Jim Caligiuri of the Austin Chronicle concludes his review with, "With only one self-penned song, the title track, Moorer's songwriting career is seemingly on hold. The effortless Mockingbird proves she doesn't need to write to make music that's all her own."

Metacritic gives the album a 67 Metascore based on 12 official critic reviews.

Personnel

 * Richard Bennett - acoustic guitar, electric guitar
 * Chris Carmichael - strings, string arrangements
 * Mike Compton - mandolin
 * John Deaderick - keyboards
 * Chris Donohue - bass guitar
 * Steve Earle - electric guitar
 * Connie Ellisor - violin
 * Jim Grosjean - viola
 * Jim Hoke - saxophone
 * Tom Howard - string arrangements, conductor
 * Ann McCrary - background vocals
 * Regina McCrary - background vocals
 * Phil Madeira - accordion, keyboards
 * Kenny Malone - drums, percussion
 * Buddy Miller - glockenspiel, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, percussion, background vocals
 * Julie Miller - background vocals
 * Allison Moorer - acoustic guitar, electric guitar, programming, lead vocals, background vocals
 * The Nashville String Machine - strings
 * Tim O'Brien - banjo
 * Bryan Owings - drums
 * Russ Pahl - steel guitar
 * Carole Rabinowitz-Neuen - cello
 * Tammy Rogers - fiddle
 * Neil Rosengarden - trumpet
 * Darrell Scott - bouzouki
 * Pam Sixfin - violin