Prior to 2005, it had been nearly a decade since Liz Durrett had completed her last album. That work, which was shelved by Durrett for nine years as she took a self imposed musical exile, eventually saw the light of day in early 2005 when it was released on Athens, GA based Warm Electronic Recordings. Originally recorded as a demo in an effort to obtain a record deal, the collection of songs entitled ‘Husk’ proved to be strong enough in its own right and quickly obtained widespread critical acclaim for it’s ‘stark loveliness’ (Washington Post) and it’s ‘threadbare sonic tapestry’ (Splendid Magazine) as well as drawing complimentary comparisons to the works of Gillian Welch and Hope Sandoval (Mazzy Star). No doubt, Durrett’s upbringing had an intense effect on her interest in music. Growing up in the sleepy southern town of Rome, GA, she’s quick to credit much of her musical inspiration to the lifeline that her legendary uncle, Vic Chesnutt, threw her in the midst of a turbulent youth. It was Chesnutt, she says, who gave her a guitar at 16 and jokingly told her to “write mean songs about your parents”. Chesnutt’s intuition was dead on, as soon after, not only was Durrett writing her own material, Chesnutt was also employing her to perform on his tours and several of his own recordings, from his 1992 epic album, ‘West of Rome’ to his most recent release, “Ghetto Bells”. Liz Durrett’s much anticipated second album will be released by WARM on January 24 of 2006. In contrast to her previous work, “The Mezzanine” is a surprisingly hi-fi affair. Gone are the hissing ghosts and unsure echoes that once haunted and obscured her recordings. And while producer and occasional performer Vic Chesnutt still adds his trademark, artfully ramshackle recording techniques and veteran engineer Andy Baker (Macha, Japancakes, Glands) attends to the more traditional sonic details, they wisely let Durrett steer the album this time around. It’s her voice and guitar that are the focus here. And that’s important, because Durrett performs with more energy, determination and flat out rawness than she ever has before. From the curiously up-tempo “Cup On The Counter” to the visceral lament of “Marlene”, Durrett covers a lot of ground within the album’s eleven songs. So where has Liz Durrett been the last nine years? Perhaps the answer is revealed in the music itself as she sings “I never understood before, I never wanted the floor, but now I’m in the throes of it”. ” Possessing the quiet vehemence of an approaching storm, “The Mezzanine” proves that Liz Durrett has a voice that will be heard for many years to come.