Time Passes By (1991)

"Time Passes By, Mattea’s seventh and finest album, is a quiet, reflective acoustic collection. Except for ”Harley,” a comic tune about a lost baby, these songs are intelligent and poetic ruminations on the glory and frailty of the human condition and of the redemptive power of love. The album ends with yet another take on the much-recorded ”From a Distance,” Julie Gold’s Grammy- winning anthem. Compared to the hugely popular version by Bette Midler, this one is less cluttered, but the inclusion of Scottish pipes makes the song a wee bit precious. On the whole, however, the combination of Mattea’s resonant alto, her sensitive reading of first-rate material, and the perfect sparseness of her backing adds up to one of the most eloquent records ever to come out of Nashville." (Entertainment Weekly)