 
Singer-songwriter Carrie Newcomer will not only notice, but remember if you take your tea with honey instead of sugar. Small details like that are captured in her poignant songs about ordinary lives. A few years ago, she took listeners to a place called “Betty’s Diner,” where she introduced the characters who worked at and visited the little joint. The diner people had more to say, according to Newcomer, who revisits Betty’s Diner on her new CD, “Regulars and Refugees.” The latest release features 14 songs written and sung from the perspectives of the assorted people who make their way into the diner. The liner notes include the lyrics, but in an unusual move, Newcomer also provides elaborate, detailed descriptions about her characters and their lives that give added meaning to the songs. As a result, the album is a little like an Anne Lamott novel that’s filled with characters who face the day’s problems with equal parts grace and imperfection. For example, one of the CD’s best songs is “I Fly,” which is written from the point of view of Jennifer, a 31-year-old single mother who works as an exotic dancer. “I’m not cheap and I’m not easy,” Jennifer tells us. “I’m just paradin’ my groceries.” Other characters include Miranda, who works the late shift at Betty’s, and Kevin, a musician who works inspecting and testing saxophones. The people sometimes crossover into different tunes, but it’s not necessary to remember all the details of their lives. Each song can stand on its own. The music falls firmly in the contemporary folk and singer-songwriter genres, and Newcomer has a deep, warm voice that’s suited to the material. With “Regulars and Refugees,” she gives us a seat at the diner counter. - D. Kimura
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Carrie
Newcomer