Some 20 years into their career, the Indigo Girls continue to work the same protected turf they staked out with their first album, building on their strengths--gorgeous melodies, teardrop vocal blends, and the occasional poetic insight worth jotting on the back of an envelope. But on their ninth album, their irritating habits remain as intractable as ever: must every romantic spat be framed against saving the whales (okay, the shrinking water supply) and the fight for clean air? And why not put all that randy energy to good use? On "Tether," a Joan Osborne-fronted song that would have aired on progressive rock stations in the '60s and '70s, the three need to kick it up a notch and set a match to those dueling, gasoline-powered guitars. Yet when the chips are down, both Emily Sailers and Amy Ray turn out inspired songs, especially "Something Real," in which a long-awaited reunion with a friend leaves Sailers full of regrets, and "Cordova," a haunting eulogy in which Ray's choices in lust and liberal causes start to blur. --Alanna Nash

Probably the best music the Indigo Girls have ever done and that is saying quite a lot. Thier music is just unsurpassed. Amy's songs that are always socially aware and make you think.....and Emily's love songs. They are just prefection.

I love the Indigo Girls and they don't disappoint. Perhaps not quite as good as some of their other stuff but they've already set the bar pretty high.

"All That We Let In" is the band's 9th album from 2004. It is a pretty typical album from them full of songs of relationships, heartache, social issues, politics and general wry observations on life. Overall I don't think this album stacks up against their best, but it is good for the most part and the material is solid. The girl's rock a bit harder than usual on songs like "Tether", and fill out their sound with the use of mandolin, keyboards, and various percussion instruments. The vocal harmonies are as tight as ever, and the two girls often opposite songwriting styles once again mesh nicely. Highlights include "All That We Let In", "Dairy Queen" "Come On Home", "Something Real" and the album closer "Rise Up". The girls still get a bit heavy handed with some of their lyrics and tend to mix politics with emotions. This does not always fit, but overall the lyrics are strong and effective. If you like the Indigo Girls you will probably enjoy this album, if not it probably will not make you a convert. It is nice to see them still putting out quality music 15 years after their debut.

This is one of my all time favorite Indigo Girls albums. Usually I just burn a few songs from each cd but this is one I actually wanted to buy because all the songs are good.

The Indigo Girls know life gives us wounds that will never heal & joys that will never be realized; while this album may not be able to bridge those gaps, it helps us breathe in those absences.

Some of us are fans of the Indigo Girls because they lyrically avoid half-truths & omissions:

Something Real - But now I know the answer's always in the question
I was either going to be the prodigal or the banished friend

Rise Up - You remember there's more than this, there always was and always is
Tend the artist in your charges, you are full invested

Tether - Whatever it was, it wasn't manumission
You can bury the past, but it's a mausoleum with a ghost of a fist that won't let us be
Can we bring it together? Can we make it better?
So plant what you need to make a better stand
I'm telling you now, find the hope that feeds you
Don't let them bleed you of your will
We got stories lead to smiles

Dairy Queen - The love you gave was not for free, but the price was truly fair
I never felt so glad to be so well spent, so beyond repair
And find that bit of faith that sets you free

Some people might question the Indigo Girls' choice of spending so much time publicly advertising their personal failures & heartaches, but I think their good intentions, while not without risks, are well placed. Some people perceive they are torn in two when faced with multiple choices. "All That We Let In" asks: What forces us to choose one and discard the others? I really struggle with trying to decide if we're better off for all that we let in; but there's probably something good in all we don't want to discard.

Indigo - The hue of that portion of the visible spectrum lying between blue and violet, evoked in the human observer by radiant energy . . . ; a dark blue to grayish purple blue.

Closets are where we store what we need
Where we leave things we can't let go

I am grateful each day the purple girls don't choose to keep their private lives closeted. Think of how much suffering would not have been alleviated, and how much joy missed if they had kept silent.