For those unfamiliar with Brooklyn, NY's traveling musical caravan, Will You Find Me is a great place to start. The band plays acoustically-based songs built from the dirt of Americana up. The band is phenomenally well-versed in the catalogs of pioneers like the Carter Family and Bill Monroe to modern giants Richard Thompson and Neil Young, all of whom Ida has covered on past releases. Armed with that musical knowledge, the band lives in the present lyrically and sonically with the assorted difficulties of life, liberty and the pursuits of happiness, be that physical or emotional.

The re-recorded "Maybelle" sets the tone for the whole album. Originally, released as a split single with Beekeeper, Ida successfully poached Karla Schickele from that band to full-time status as bassist and mistress of assorted keyboard items. In addition to her multi-instrumental abilities, Karla has written my favorite song from each of the last two Ida records, including "Man in Mind"on Will You Find Me that I can't get out of mine.

"Maybelle" starts almost inaudibly and slowly builds as the members of the Ida collective join in. Schickele's alto is the perfect counterbalance to the nearly lighter-than-air vocal of Liz Mitchell in the song's haunting chorus: "What if you could make another life/would you still have me by your side."By the time Dan Littleton (newly wedded to Liz) joins as a third part harmony, there is no looking back and little doubt of the answer.

Songs continue from the spare to the layered with all sorts of outside help from regulars Ida Pearle (not related to the band name) on violin and Tara Jane O'Neil (Rodan, Retsin) on melodica to Moog master Bernie Worrell. Lyrically the band is unafraid to sing tenderly of hurt and hope and (gasp) lust. "You're the velvet in my mouth/You I cannot be without,"from "Turn Me On,"and "I could watch you sleep for hours/without noticing that it's getting really late,"from "The Radiator,"are two of the best responses to the bile spewing from the mouth of Eminem that I can think of. Evocative, intelligent, heartfelt. If only a Paul Thomas Anderson or Gus Van Sant-type would write a motion picture around their songs and Ida could be this year's Elliott Smith or Aimee Mann.

For all this, Ida won't find a place in any radio format. If you live on the East Coast, this group tours nearly relentlessly and you would do well to stop by. Their shows tend to be as deliberate as some of their songs, but as they get warmed up all sorts of fun surprises will be in store.

Rating: 8
- Tim Frommer