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Chinese Boxes | 
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| Artist: Kim Richey
Label: Vanguard Records
Category: Music
List Price: $17.98
Buy New: $4.74
You Save: $13.24 (74%)
New (46) Used (21) from $4.74
Rating:  15 reviews
Sales Rank: 10592
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 79823
UPC: 015707982320
EAN: 0015707982320
ASIN: B000QEIOPS
Release Date: July 10, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Old Market Store**
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| Tracks:
| • | Jack and Jill | | • | Chinese Boxes | | • | Drift | | • | The Absence of Your Company | | • | Turn Me | | • | I Will Follow | | • | Something to Say | | • | Not a Love Like This | | • | Another Day | | • | Pretty Picture |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
It's been a long five years between releases, but Kim Richey has clearly spent the time wisely, perfecting these 10 new songs. She clearly enjoys working with different cowriters, since eight tunesmiths--including such contemporaries as Joan Osborne and Mindy Smith--collaborate with her on this superb set. Producer Giles Martin (George's son, producer of the Beatles' Love) injects a somewhat more pop-oriented approach that works wonderfully with this introspective and intricately crafted material. "Jack and Jill" colors in the missing backstory of the children's ditty with sumptuous yet frilly harpsichord, flute, kazoo, and whistling. The title track recalls a snappy Suzanne Vega, adding multi-instrumentalist Billy Mowbray's sax, mellotron, and vibes, while "Not a Love Like This," the Osborne co-write, brings reverbed guitar and a bit of retro to arguably the album's finest and most robust melody. "Pretty Picture," the only tune composed solely by the singer, is a tender, intimate love ballad sung with heartbreaking sensitivity. Richey is in sparkling voice throughout, sounding inspired by her band, the production, and especially the magnificent tunes. The laid-back, layered sound on "Another Day" and the sprightly "I Will Follow" perfectly capture the nuances of their lyrics with subtlety and class, two aspects of the singer's style that have never been compromised. There's not a weak track here, and the sharp sequencing makes this an album that ebbs and flows with Kim Richey's richly articulated vision. --Hal Horowitz
Album Description
Newly signed to Vanguard Records, Kim Richey is set to release her first collection of new music in five years on July 10th. Chinese Boxes was produced by Giles Martin and recorded in London at Eastcote Studios and Air Studios Lyndhurst. Giles Martin's most recent project was The Beatles "Love" soundtrack, which he collaborated on with his father, Sir George Martin. Chinese Boxes is a collection of 10 beautifully crafted soulful songs. The first single "Jack and Jill" (and lead track) gives the couple in the nursery rhyme a bit of a back-story - and the listener a hint of the discoveries to come. The title track tries to define a mysterious person before giving way to "Drift", a poignant love song (co-written with Mindy Smith). "The Absence of Your Company" showcases Richey's vocal vulnerability in a sparse instrumental setting while the cautionary "Another Day" highlights Kim's stunning sense of melody. The album-closing "Pretty Picture", is an intimate ballad that speaks honestly of true love. Fans and critics alike have long awaited new music from the critically appraised singer/songwriter, whose other albums include Kim Richey (1995), Bitter Sweet (1997), Glimmer (1999), Rise (2002), and The Collection (2004).
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| Customer Reviews: Read 10 more reviews...
 kim shows her beatlesesque side June 7, 2008
i'm new to kim. i haven't heard any of her alt country stuff and i picked this up on blind faith. i was not disappointed. all of the songs on this album have a alternative/retro pop feel to them. " turn me," " i will follow," and" something to say," get put on repeat alot on my cd player. "drift," is dreamy. i thought it was interesting to hear the sad songs accompanied with happy melodies. Kim's voice is sweet, never whiny. i look forward to digging into her back catolog.
 Some good some bad. May 30, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I have liked much of Kim's earlier stuff. Unfortunately, this music is somewhat disappointing. Many of the tunes come off as too pop and they seem to be aiming at a wider audience. They have lost any edginess they might of had mainly due to their overproduction. Occassionally the old Kim shines through but not often enough to rate this effort any higher.
 Great cd April 29, 2008
Kim Richey is an excellent artist. I thoroughly enjoyed this cd, I bought it for the sadly sweet song "The Absence of Your Company." I love that song, but also came to love all the songs on the cd, especially the first song about Jack and Jill, she did an excellent job interpretating a new take on that story.
A Great CD That You Can Listen to Over and Over Again February 9, 2008
I first heard CHINESE BOXES while on an airplane, of all places. Several of the songs from the album were featured on one of the in-flight radio stations, and I immediately liked what I heard. I love female artists with beautiful voices and even better lyrics (such as Aimee Mann, Imogen Heap and Regina Spektor) and Kim Richey seemed to fit firmly in that mold. I decided to take a chance and get the full CD instead of downloading a few of the singles on iTunes, something I rarely do anymore. I have been far from disappointed by that decision. In fact, CHINESE BOXES has since become one of my favorite CDs and has the honor of being one of the albums I love listening to all the way through time after time.
Several songs on CHINESE BOXES became my obsession for several weeks, being put on constant repeat. These are: "Jack and Jill," "I Will Follow," and "Not a Love Like This." They all have a bit more of a beat than the other songs on the album, which is probably why I like them best. Although I don't listen to them every chance I get anymore, I still absolutely love them and am especially moved by the heartfelt emotion in "Not a Love Like This," where Richey sings of love gone wrong and how she wants to move on to a better, healthier love ("not the kind that leaves me in the wind to twist"). Honorable mentions go to "Chinese Boxes" and "Something to Say" as strong, enjoyable songs.
There are also songs on the CD that I like less than others ("The Absence of Your Company" and "Another Day" spring to mind, mostly because I find them too slow), but there is no song that I actually dislike. CHINESE BOXES is highly recommended for anyone who enjoys strong female artists and great lyrics.
Chinese Boxes January 14, 2008
I am not really familiar with Kim Richey's music all save for a couple of songs. The few songs I have heard by Kim I really enjoyed so when I saw a copy of Kim's latest cd CHINESE BOXES this weekend, I thought I would check it out. Although albeit too short for my liking, I was not disappointed in what I heard. I am not normally a fan of country and folk music but there are a few exceptions. I found CHINESE BOXES very comforting to listen to. It is like putting on my favorite pair of flannel pajama bottoms or socks. Kim's music emits that same kind of warmth and security I get from wearing my favorite socks or pjs. I loved every song on the cd. They all had great unforgettable pop hooks. Like I mentioned earlier, this cd was a bit too short for my liking but other than the length of the cd CHINESE BOXES is flawless in my book.
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