Cris Williamson and Tret Fure are an interesting pair of female musicians, best known for the feminist/healing/spiritual niche they’ve carved out for themselves in the alternative musical arena, both as individuals, and together. Their Web site goes into some details regarding the two, which was a blessing, as it satisfied my curiosity. Essentially, the two (described as musical and life partners) act as musical healers, using word and rhythm to sooth the spirit and ease the heart.

Cris Williamson is described as a pioneer of women’s music, a spirit healer, and a teacher of the “art of possible,” who’s been performing since the Seventies, and who has no less than 17 albums to her name. Her work has almost uniformly been independent, overlooked by the major labels and spread through word of mouth and the luck of the draw. She’s a champion for the environment, human rights, and anything that makes the world a better place.

Tret Fure, on the other hand, is noted best for her songwriting abilities, her grasp of musical technology, her wit, and her “intrinsic sense of musicality.” She first began working with Williamson in 1981, when she engineered a children’s record for her, and they’ve been partners ever since.

That’s the biographical aspect out of the way. Frankly, I’d never heard of Cris and Tret before I picked up Radio Quiet, and I went in without any real preconceived notions. So let me tell you a secret.

You don’t have to be a fan to appreciate Radio Quiet. Admittedly, it’s not the best album I’ve ever run across, but it does succeed and entertain in its own way. It’s hard to truly describe the tone of the songs within, because every time I try to nail them down, something changes, and I’m back where I started, unable to label or define. I have a feeling that that’s the intention.

The tone of the album is one of positive thinking, optimism, hope, and energy. There’s a very strong feminine/feminist aspect to the music, and I can very easily see some of the songs appealing to both a feminist and a lesbian sensibility. Those songs which don’t carry a positive note to them act in different ways, alerting us to the plight of the world around us, subtly encouraging the listener to make a difference.

From what I can tell, and going by the liner notes, the vocals are split between Williamson and Fure, with instruments (piano, guitar, harp, banjo, bass, accordion, mandolin, drums, fiddle, and harmonica) played by both Williamson and Fure as needed, or by accompanying artists (such as Leo Adamian, Jean Millington, Michelle Goerlitz, Janelle Burdell, and June Millington).

Half the beauty of Radio Quiet lies in the liner notes, for it’s there that the lyrics to the songs are contained. And I’ll confess that frankly, some of those lyrics are touching, and downright beautiful. Take, for instance, these lines from the title track:

There are places on the earth that are so quiet

You can hear the whispers of space

We stand beneath the stars and the heavens

And we search the Chaos for a face

We listen to the Matter for voices

From another time, another place

We’re a dim and lonely star, and it’s so lonely,

And it’s so lonely…

My favorite song, hands down, has to be the upbeat “Tomboy Girl,” which is, quite simply, an anthem for every girl who’s wanted to defy the rules and expectations and gender biases that society insists upon laying on them. Not because I’m a secret tomboy, mind you, but because it’s a really good song. (I’m not a tomboy. And the fact that I get mistaken for a woman at least twice a month by short-sighted cashiers and drive-through fast-food employees is a mystery that has my wife and me completely baffled…)

Ahem. Getting back to the topic at hand. Is this a good album? Yes. Is it great? Well, the jury is still out. When I started this review, I was all set to give Radio Quiet something of a pass, but strangely enough, it grew on me during the latest listening. Something finally clicked, and I was able to appreciate the tone and sentiment. No song truly disappoints, and at least one or two stand out as above average. I’m going to have to give this one a thumbs up, especially if you happen to like feminist/healing independent/alternative music.