Emily Mure has a background in classical oboe. That career path changed direction when she discovered songwriting and singing. She didn’t give up all of that classical training. She arranged all of the strings for this collection of 10 tunes. More importantly, she wrote all of the songs minus one, plays guitar and sings. She’s joined by Zachariah Hickman (bass, piano, organ, ukulele, and melodica), Audrey Q. Snyder (cello), Ian Burke (fiddle, backing vocals), Elise Levy (backing vocals), Abby Swidler (violin) and Katie Martucci (backing vocals). The lone cover is “As The World Falls Down.” From David Bowie’s final album. The result of a mature and insightful songwriter, “Worth” is a collection to be proud of. She has a sweet voice that captivates. It sometimes belies the seriousness of her lyrics. On the opener, “Waiting For A Change,” she sings, “I don’t mind a challenge/I don’t mind the rain/I don’t mind staying inside all day/all that came before/all that comes my way/all my best moments came from so much pain.” “Come Clean” is about saying out loud what’s on your mind: “The day after tomorrow/you will know the truth of it all/this is no kind of loving/and I am not covering/anything anymore…I will be free/oh I’ll be free/when I come clean.” Much of this is like reading a diary. The title piece is a pep talk to a friend and “Roommate’s Predicament” is a confession of unresolved and hidden taboo love. Each song is an entry into that musical diary. “Welfare Island” is about moving on, as is “Almost Everything” (“I worked to get over him/I worked to move on/I worked for the summertime/when the winter felt long.”). Through the words, the voice always sounds strong and crystalline. A lovely disc.