Katie Dahl's words do take flight on her brand-new album, "Leaky Boats and Paper Birds," Dahl's first release since her acclaimed "County Line" (2009). In the past several years, Dahl (Big Top Chautauqua Songwriter of the Year, 2010) has developed a reputation for writing songs that speak with honesty, compassion, and humor about the complexities of private and public life. On "Leaky Boats," Dahl's honeyed alto tells tales of French fountains, San Francisco docks, and snow-covered roads in her native Upper Midwest. Covering a range that is as broad emotionally as it is geographically, produced by Memphis string wizard Eric Lewis (Premier Player Award for Strings, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences-Memphis chapter), "Leaky Boats and Paper Birds" is a must-have for longtime Katie Dahl fans and new listeners alike. Stephanie Elkins of Wisconsin Public Radio raves, "Singer-songwriter Katie Dahl keeps getting better and better. "Leaky Boats and Paper Birds" is a beautifully crafted album, with poetic lyrics made even more evocative by gorgeous melodies and lovely guitar picking. Katie's low, rich voice is the real deal, and you can feel her love for the land, lakes and people of the Upper Midwest in every song. The production and backing musicians are also top-notch."