margin: auto 0in;">That is not to say that Crain's pensive, evocative songwriting is washed out by richer instrumentation. The majority of the songs are still stripped bare, pushing her earnest vocals to the foreground, as heard on the album's opening and closing tracks, "Rising Sun" and "The Dam Song." The bookends seem to illustrate a duel between the two conflicting sides of her songwriting: hopeful sentimentality and weathered tragedy.
"Songs in the Night" is a clear progression for Crain as she adjusts her songwriting to accommodate a full band, but fans will be relieved that the Oklahoma native's soul remains firmly intact."?Charles Martin
