I stumbled upon greatness this week. Grand, melancholy melodies sung by the love child of Bjork and James Taylor – an heir to the kingdom of folk – where the rules have been erased and rewritten. I can see it now – your curious – your fingers anxious to search the net for this collision. Cortney Tidwell may not be the love child of such a pairing but she is a find of epic proportion . Her debut full-length album, “Don’t Let the Stars Keep Us Tangled Up”, was released in February of 2007 via the UK label Ever Records. After the success of Ewan Pearson’s 2006 remix of the title track, “DLTSKUTU”, young Tidwell found an audience far from home. She began touring Europe before the stateside release of the record and more recently grabbed a spot on Pitchfork’s Top 100 songs of 2007.Cortney, a Nashville native, has been tagged with a multitude of genre-blending descriptions – most of which are completely without merit. Boxed and plainly described as “country” or “goth”, Tidwell is much more than any genre can confine. Her pixie-like voice glides from one arrangement to the next, weaving in and out of the organic and electronic landscapes. Washed in spacious reverb, each track engages the ear from start to finish. Strong opener, “Eyes Are at the Billions” is a brilliant depiction of what’s to come – combining the gentle and beautifully profane. By track three (Missing Link) Cortney is in full bloom. The mild rocker is quite possibly the popiest endeavor on the album. Pulsing from an electro-driven verse into the alt rock perfect chorus – this is as good as it gets. The record brims with everything from electronica to folk – and enough soundtrack worthy fodder for any shoe gazer out there. My point? DO NOT SLEEP ON THIS RECORD. Stop what you’re doing, pull up your itunes and become a fan. Remember those day – when we bought records – not just singles or our favorite cuts but we purchased an entire album because there was a belief in greatness. This is that record. I know I’m early and technically in breach of calendar terms but this record is destined for my end of year, top 10 – It truly is exquisite. Favorite cuts include “Don’t Let the Stars Keep Us Tangle Up”, “Our Time” & “The Tide”.