While other of her albums spanning the mid '80s to the middle of the following decade are marred by cheesy or tinny-sounding overproduction and a breakaway from the acoustic-based accompaniment that suits her most truthfully, By the Time It Gets Dark presents Mary Black, folk vocal stylist, at her best. Less dark than Sandy Denny, less twee than Nanci Griffith, yet coming from a similar tradition and approach, Black's vocals are warm, earthy, and expressive. Her live version of "Moon River" is sweet, pure, and sublimely lovely. And she's near about perfect on such well-chosen gems as Richard Thompson's "Farewell, Farewell" or (more popularly rendered by Griffith) "Once in a Very Blue Moon." By the Time It Gets Dark is thereby the most logical and pleasant step toward Black's more recent work of the new millennium. --Paige La Grone