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Sep 21, 2009 Web Exclusive By Kyle Lemmon

Judee Sill released only two LPs, 1971's Judee Sill and 1973's Heart Food, before tragically dying of a heroin and cocaine overdose in 1979. She didn't live long enough to see her music become popular among Laurel Canyon-referencing indies such as Fleet Foxes and Department of Eagles. American Dust's lovingly compiled Crayon Angel features gorgeous and tolerable Sill covers from Daniel Rossen (Department of Eagles, Grizzly Bear), Beth Orton, Bill Callahan, Final Fantasy, Marissa Nadler, and Ron Sexsmith. Rossen's rendition of "Waterfall" is almost as pretty as the original, and Final Fantasy has a transformative take on "The Donor." The strings on that one truly sing. The obligatory American Dust roster musicians (By Bye Blackbirds and Shalants) fill out the track listing gaps in less inspiring ways.

Two of the best songs in this collection were never committed to tape by Sill. Beth Orton's cover of the layered "Reach for the Sky" feels wispy and Bill Callahan's dour cut for "Like a Rainbow" adds heaps of gravitas to the proceedings. (The latter was co-written with Sill's onetime boyfriend Lal Baum, the great-grandson of Wizard of Oz author L. Frank Baum.) Only some tracks capture the fugue-like heartbreak of Sill's gauzy originals, but hopefully they raise public awareness for the queen of the slow burn. (www.americandust.net)

Author rating: 5/10