For the first time in her 20-year career, singer-songwriter Sam Phillips goes it alone on the curiously titled Don't Do Anything. Having taken on multiple styles, Phillips has seemed most comfortable as a woman with an acoustic guitar ever since 2001's Fan Dance. In a session with host David Dye, Phillips displays her songwriting prowess with just that, accompanied only violinist and guitarist Erik Gorfain.
Don't Do Anything seems prime for lyrical investigation: It's her first album since her divorce from husband and longtime producer T-Bone Burnett. Still, she manages to convey a universal message of strength and vulnerability through varied perspectives and clever lyrics.
This segment originally aired on July 23, 2008.
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