Michelle Branch Gives Preview Show at City Winery in New York City, NY - September 30th, 2009

Every so often you could hear the rumble of the Spring Street C/E train trestle that extended underground under The City Winery. The occasional muted vibrations were an interesting parallel to the Michelle Branch acoustic set. There were the tender and sweeter songs occasionally intermingled with more robust, up-tempo tracks, crackling with the tremor of harder riffs.

Branch continued her promotional tour for her upcoming album "Everything Comes and Goes" (November 10th) with a fifty minute preview show in New York City. She was joined by Grammy award winner John Leventhal on guitar (executive producer on the new album, has worked with Shawn Colvin and Elvis Costello) and by her husband Teddy Landau on bass.

It was a simple acoustic three-piece, very befitting of the environment. It was all that was needed to keep the attention of those in attendance. There was no jumping up and down or screaming or shouting between songs, but the smiles and nods from those all around were undeniable.What subway noise?

The crowd was a mix of business executives and fans, all dressed elegantly and befitting the classy style of the venue. The City Winery (155 Varick Street) is a wide and spacious room imbued with amber light and decorated with murals of wine bottles on its walls. It hosts musicians and comedians in a seating-room only format, which means if you come by yourself you better get used to rubbing elbows (and having a nice glass of Pinot Gris or other type of wine) with strangers.

Such was the case with little ole' me, as I was seated in a table already filled with three. It's not exactly proper social etiquette to interrupt and insert yourself, but they graciously accepted and I joined in the conversation (well, admittedly after a glass of wine loosened me up).

Despite an occasional cough off-mic, Branch's set was solid, debuting new songs but peppering the set with her biggest hits from previous albums. "Everywhere" was the second song on the set, later followed by a jingle-jangle "All You Wanted". Unfortunately "Are You Happy Now?" (lead single to her second album, Hotel Paper), slightly disappointed with a slower tempo and a nasally drone in the chorus.

Branch's strengths are her amiable personality and an understated voice that can reach out and land some impressive notes, such as during the chorus of "Breathe". There are attention-grabbing intonations to her vocal hooks such as in the chorus to the new single "Sooner or Later" that spark the "pleased" and "happy" synapses in your brain. Branch's best songs are always the "girl wants boy, boy wants another gir, girl pines after boy" songs-evocative of high school era social dynamics. "Sooner or Later", Branch admits, is another of those songs, but it's a bread-and-butter that works in her favor.

Gracious and openly talkative, Branch thanked the crowd several times for their support as well as walked them through the inspiration behind several songs-the lullaby "Crazy Ride" inspired by her child-- those in attendance uttered the inevitable "aww", to which Branch replied "it's okay to aww". She also talked about coming to terms with the pop single (and crowd favorite-especially for the three sitting with me) "Breathe"-she now loves the song.

The new material continues Branch's creative direction from her time with The Wreckers of fusing country (or "CMT Country" as one of my tablemates correctly termed it) with the pop sensibility that was brought to bear in her first two albums. In particular, "Send Me A Sign" has a dirrrrrty blues-like chorus that you could tell even in acoustic form. Branch's title track to the new album "Everything Comes and Goes"-is a quiet, introspective ballad explained as her attempt to channel The Wreckers break up since she couldn't tell anyone while they were in the middle of touring.

Branch quickly returned for an encore ("I'm always afraid people will start walking out, so I stay on the stage") and closed out the set with John Leventhal greasing up a cover of The Rolling Stones "Play With Fire".