Judee Sill - Heart Food
Only back in print for about two years after fading into obscurity for twenty, Judee Sill's two albums are near-perfect folk in the style of Joni Mitchell and Carole King. But the better comparison might be to Nick Drake; aside from their similarly meager catalogues and tragic endings (Sill died of an overdose in the late 70s), their music aches in the same uniquely spiritual way. Heart Food, Sill's second record, is where she really seems in control of everything, from her world-weary voice to the never overwhelming but always spacious arrangements; it's no big jump, particularly with the religious undercurrent, to Sufjan Stevens's work on Illinois. The resurgence of folk has rightfully made a hero out of Vashti Bunyan, but Judee Sill deserves the same admiration.
Soldier of the Heart (mp3)