From top to bottom this is a very solid CD and deserves a spot up there with "Mortal City" and her other best material. I liked the duet cover of "Comfortably Numb." The highlight for me on this disc though is the lead off song "Teen for God."

If you like Dar's music this will not dissappoint, if you are new to her...this might be a good launch point for you because of the album's pop-oriented sound.

"There is no pain, you are receding.
A distant ship's smoke on the horizon.
You are only coming through in waves.
Your lips move but I can't hear what you're sayin'."

Dar Williams creates her songs with memorable and insightful lyrics that evoke hauntingly familiar emotions and places. I adore the way she relaxes into each mood as her voice embraces a comforting mystery.

The highlight of this album is her cover of Pink Floyd's Comfortably Numb. The song seems to ripple out in all directions as Dar's voice mingles in musical ecstasy with each note. She was born to sing a cover of this song!

So Close to My Heart embodies a delicate intimacy and You Rise and Meet the Day weaves stories and when she sings "I love you all the time" or just about any line in this song it gives me shivers.

~The Rebecca Review

My daughter introduced me to Dar Williams music, and ever since then I've gallen in love with her songwriting. She is a fine guitarist, decent singer, and absolutely mesmerizing in concert - especially solo.
On 'My Better Self', she comes out with some of her best work as well as some of her most uninspired. My favorite is the bluesy 'Two sides of the River', a song that draws me in with its simple but profound lyrics and fine guitar work.
She shows off a couple of political numbers in 'My Beautiful Enemy' and especially on 'Empire', where she masters such lyrics as 'Some will say that we force our words/We find that incredulously churlish". It doesn't matter which side of the aisle you're on, you gotta love this kind of poetry!
Dar also reminds us that she can still tell a story on 'Liar', a well-spun tale about being from the wrong side of the tracks. And 'Teen for God' is a both whimsical and semi-spiritual portrait of Christian youth camp and how we often get jaded in our passions as we grow.
She duets with Ani Di Franco on a decent cover version of 'Comfortably Numb', maintaining the moodiness of the original while interpreting it, not trying to reinvent it.
Less successful is her cover of Neil Young's 'Everybody knows this is Nowhere', and 'The Hudson'. Neither track really jumps out with any passion, and I often find my attention diverted easily when either of those two tracks are playing.
Dar's musical horizons continue to expand with each new release, and this CD is no exception. While much of her older stuff is definitely superior, this CD will please a good portion of her fans.

Dar's latest CD is "My Better Self." It's a bit of a disappointment. The best song is "Teen for God," which is a typical upbeat, funny, catchy song. The rest is kinda depressing. I hope her next album has more upbeat songs.

For those who grew weary of the didactic Williams, here's the (almost) pure pop Williams. The sound is pushed to the fore: glossy and agreeable, burnished and warm.

Alas, it doesn't distract from the album's primary weakness - a noticable slump in songwriting. "Teen For God" delivers, no doubt, and is a certain standout musically and lyrically.

However, the remaining high-profile tunes ("Echoes," "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere" and "Comfortably Numb") are covers, demonstrating a reduction in Williams' former prowess.

No doubt, the covers sound lovely - but one does question the point in her choice of the old PF radio mainstay. (I'd rather hear Williams check in with something a bit more left field - like Grace Slick's "Lather.")

(Williams is presently reworking classic Dead material, so it seems her batteries are still not charged.) She'll (eventually) be back, better than ever, though; Williams is the real deal, and it shows even on a 'transitional' album.