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Music Reviews: Iris DeMent, October 9, 1996

Music Reviews: Iris DeMent, October 9, 1996 Iris DeMent: The Way I Should Warner Bros.  File Under: Singer-songwriter goes country pop Iris DeMent’s startlingly simple debut, Infamous Angel, recalled the California-transplant alienation of Merle Haggard’s early work; its stark acoustic arrangement gave it a neo-folk sound. On her third recording, The Way I Should, the Arkansas-born, California-raised singer-songwriter has decided to reach out to contemporary country radio. This presents problems. DeMent’s songwriting is too old-fashioned–and often too personal and politically…

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Country Standard Time: Iris Dement Interview

DeMent spells out what matters most By Roy Kasten “What matters to me are the songs,” Iris DeMent explained in quiet conviction, during an interview one October Saturday from her home in Gladstone, Kansas. Iris DeMent is entering her sixth year of recording, but she speaks with a gentle wisdom beyond experience. Her career has moved steadily upward, ever since John Prine first heard her songs and encouraged her to quit work at K-Mart and record “Infamous Angel” for Rounder…

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