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Who knows why geniuses sometimes take a decade or two off from their genius,
the way you and I take a week off work? But as long as Neil Young,
Bonnie Raitt and John Prine return to form, who really cares why? Now
I'd add Dolly Parton to that list. Little Sparrow proves that
1999's The Grass Is Green was no fleeting burst of
inspiration; Parton hasn't been so consistently exciting since the
'70s. If anything, the new one suggests an evening kicking back with
one of the world's greatest entertainers as she goes through her song
collection like old love letters. She steals "Shine" from Collective
Soul, jazzes up "I Get A Kick Out of You" Willie Nelson-style. Even
her own "Down From Dover" gets a remarkable overhaul from the actress
within; the heartbreaking catch in her throat as she describes the
stillbirth actually eclipses her original performance. The album is
peppered throughout with angry tales of women who were wronged, are
wronged or are about to be wronged, with the title tune counseling
against ever getting involved with men. The brilliant "I Don't
Believe You've Met My Baby" stands apart, starting out like one of
those tales only to surprise us with a twist, and for once a happy
ending.
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