The Story continues with vocalist / acoustic guitarist / pianist Jonatha Brooke and vocalist Jennifer Kimball as they release their sophomore effort for Elektra Records entitled The Angel in the House. The two former English majors from Amherst College have grown considerably since their debut with an album rich in musical diversity.

Brooke's introspective and poetic songwriting is one of The Story's greatest strengths. Songs like "Mermaid" and "Amelia" are capable of provoking as much emotion on paper, as they do before the duo's "clear, vibratoless altos" (as one source describes them) harmonize.

Though Kimball and Brooke's vocals and guitar remain The Story's focal point, their use of Latin rhythms and jazzy artrangements help distance them from other folk artists with similar make-ups, like The Indigo Girls. "At the Still Point," "When Two and Two are Five," and "Missing Person Afternoon" become more than mere folk songs with jazz pianist Alain Mallet's contributions. Mallet, who is also Brooke's husband as well as the album's co-producer, helps bolster The Story's sound with the addition of congos, horns, and pianos.

What Mallet doesn't do, though, is take away from the combo's folk roots, which shine on tracks like the first single "So Much Mine" and "The Gilded Cage," which are as effective as they are unadorned.

With the framework of Brooke's poignant, heart-felt songwriting and the duo's rich harmonies to build on, it seems that The Story are just beginning to unfold.

Reviewer:  Don Kroeller, Jr., courtesy of Flash Magazine.