Have the Indigo Girls hit the doldrums? Their concerts of late often prove to not only be lackluster, but dated, as singer/songwriter/guitarists Amy Ray and Emily Saliers veer dangerously close to seeming more like relics than icons. Part of that stems from their reliance on familiar material, as if their writing has slowed to a trickle. Now comes more suggestion of that in Rarities, an album made up of leftovers, odds and ends, demos, other previously unreleased material, and contributions to side albums. The good news is that there is much here to enjoy, all of it wrapped in the Girls' trademark corduroy-and-silk harmonies. Their demo version of "Ghost" is fraught with fevered longing, a remix of "Shed Your Skin" delights with its swirling, hypnotic soundscape, and the cameos by Michael Stipe ("I'll Give You My Skin") and Ani DiFranco ("Ramblin' Round") resonate with artistry and star power. But the 18-song album bloats with less-than-sparkling cuts (for example, a cacophonous rendering of Vic Chesnutt's "Free of Hope," two early and undistinguished songs from both Emily and Amy, and a techno-meets-country remix of "Free in You"). In the end, this is more a collector's disc than a window on the duo's "rarest" moments. --Alanna Nash

a good collection of songs for Indigo Girl fans; odd problem with the CD skipping though.

These are wonderfully written songs by some of the best. The air of soulful harmony the Girls bring to each song is just perfect. Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters is better than any version Elton John ever did. This is one of my most-played collections.

Listened to it once - then put it back in it's case to subsequently collect dust. Most of these songs I've already acquired through other means, and the new remix was just bad. Looking forward to the new album release in September for a little redemption.

I adore the Indigo Girls and have everything they've put out, so this was a must-buy for me. However, it's the least likely CD I'd play out of theirs. They're still in good form on this one, but it lacks the consistency of a regular Indigo Girls album.

I consider myself a die-hard (seasoned) fan, and I was greatly disappointed in this collection. More than two-thirds of the songs are previously released, so I was glad I could only purchase the 6 songs I needed. Most of the 6 actual "new" tracks are available in a poorer quality elsewhere. I am not criticizing the Indigo Girls for this redundant release, they asked their fans to vote on the songs we most wanted on this collection. This collection will seem weak and unrepresentative to the novice listener; as the duo has said many times "Rarities" demonstrates their growth as songwriters and performers.

The overall message is: this collection is for the middle, those of you that fall somewhere between a novice and die-hard fan. If your rarities collection already includes most of the songs on "Rarities," then buy the few songs you need individually. If you only own 1 or 2 Indigo Girl CDs (or tapes), then skip this one for now and go with something else like "Retrospective," "All That We Let In," or "Come On Now Social." You will be much happier in the long run, as those CDs are more representative of the duo's songwritting and abilities. However, if you own most of their CDs and you are interested in understanding their development and influences (that you don't already know), then I highly recommend this collection.