Tara Dente

“In the music world, talent will often get you noticed, but authenticity will get you remembered. For New Jersey singer/songwriter Tara Dente, that duo of traits is on full display on the new album called Truth In The Mud.

Grounded in a kind of rootsy Americana, it’s only after letting each song bloom that one begins to hear all of Dente’s varied influences. From her early years surrounded by the sound of Celtic and church hymns, to her self-guided tour through American vernacular music, you hear solid fingerpicking, storytelling, and a voice that always offers comfort. And from influences as diverse as Nick Drake and Enya, you hear a focus on not just songcraft, but soundcraft - using words and music seamlessly to create a cohesive whole.

Since stepping into Asbury Park’s music scene back in 2012, Dente’s reputation has been steadily building, buoyed by her standout 2014 debut called Leave Your Ghosts Behind as well as 2017’s The Gleaner, released worldwide on Travianna Records.

With Truth In The Mud, Dente has made her most compelling artistic statement yet. This is the work of an artist in complete command, but still vulnerable to the kind of self-doubt that makes her feel approachable and welcoming. There’s comfort in her songs, because Tara Dente knows what to say - and how to say it - at exactly the right time.

Never is that more accurate than on ‘Hill So Steep,’ the new album’s leadoff track. Despite being written well before 2020’s unprecedented disruption to artistic life, Dente tackles the classic Sisyphean predicament that has become all too familiar for artists living and working in our current environment. As she explains, “’Hill So Steep’ is about a dream I had. In the dream, I was driving up a hill so steep, I felt like I was climbing the steepest roller coaster with no belt on or bar to hold me in and would just fall out. The dream certainly reflected difficult circumstances happening in my life at the time. I was a server at a popular restaurant in my town and did pretty well in tips that day. As soon as I turned the corner walking to my car after work, I noticed it, as well as a slew of other cars, had been towed. The dollar amount it took to get my car back from the auto shop was the exact amount I had made that day in tips. That night, I had the dream. Sometimes you take a step forward, and then take a step right back. But then another day, you'll take three steps forward. You just have to hang in there the best you can and look for the next right thing."

Truth In The Mud is a giant step forward. And there are many more to come. This is no longer an artist on her way. Tara Dente is already here. It’s time everyone noticed.”

-Eric Teel, Jefferson Public Radio