What I Got by Michelle Swan

What I Got elevates her hardwon experience into art and bestows a great gift to anyone lucky enough to get a listen.

What I Got

The title track sets the tone for the CD. A sassy, witty, worldly self-assessment, What I Got could be an anthem for anyone who lacks gobs of disposable income and a spot on the A-list - and is wise enough to know it doesn't matter. With a teasing, tantalizing defiance, What I Got reminds us ... "it's all inside - and that's the best."

Not That I'd Know

Remember that moment when the possibility of a great love hovered before you, just out of reach - too real to let you sleep, too elusive to trust to anything but the deepest recesses of your heart? Not That I'd Know perfectly recreates the aching sweetness of anticipation made more delicious by the vividness of the songwriter's imagination. Swan's lovely, crystal clear vocals hit just the right tone to convey longing that is both tender and fierce - and an invitation that would require a heart of stone to refuse.

Out of the Blue

No snob about who can catch a lover's eye, Out of the Blue takes the listener on a wild, raucous ride. The song romps through the vividness of a crush - the mindless attraction to a casual acquaintance. From rehearsing clever lines to buying gas she doesn't need, Out of the Blue rocks out on a joy well beyond the limits of logic.

Madwoman

Madwoman is a subtle, nuanced rendering of an emotion so powerful it creates a kind of delightful madness, a madness the lover in the song gladly accepts as fair trade. In the form of a musing, reflective dialog with herself, Madwoman admits distraction, a blurring of the world around her, but doesn't mind the lack of order. There are worse things than the dizzying confusion of passion. "Let them say I'm crazy, acting like a fool. They're not me, being loved ... loved by you." Swan makes a compelling case for an insanity plea.

Time of My Life

Swan's personal homage to "the greatest generation," Time of My Life is a granddaughter's gracious salute to her grandmother and to the beliefs and social mores of another era. Loving in tone, the song is filled with admiration, but is never maudlin or sentimental. There is a place for duty, for fulfilling promises, but however much it respects the past, Time of My Life also celebrates a new chapter in a long life. More than just surviving, the grandmother of Time of My Life has found fresh reasons to live. What better legacy could any generation pass along?

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