Between Here and Gone (2004) "Elysium," which closes the country-folk veteran's latest, imagines a place of perfect contentment, but as the album's title suggests, many of the songs traffic in… Mary Chapin Carpenter

Details Release Date: Apr 27, 2004; Lead Performance: Mary Chapin Carpenter

''Elysium,'' which closes the country-folk veteran's latest, imagines a place of perfect contentment, but as the album's title suggests, many of the songs traffic in alienation and departures. Most moving is ''Goodnight America,'' a social commentary/lullaby set in a bewildering urban matrix. Too subdued for ''I Feel Lucky''-style singles, Between is a dashboard light for life's dark roads.

Originally posted Apr 30, 2004 Published in issue #762-763 Apr 30, 2004 Order article reprints