Melissa Ferrick - Still Right Here

Melissa Ferrick –Still Right Here
2011, MPress Records

Melissa Ferrick is at it again, criss-crossing the countryon tour in support of her latest release, StillRight Here.  An enigma in the rockand roll world when she first started out, Ferrick has kept the Indie lightburning throughout her career, refusing to give in to the mores of major labelmadness.  Still Right Here is about what you would expect for Ferrick,well-written songs full of great lyrics and an understated storyteller’spanache.

Ferrick gets things started with the title track.  “Still Right Here” is a catchy little numberwith great pop sensibility about facing the reality of yourself and who youare.  Kaki King sits in on “Headphones On”,an ode to overcoming life’s difficulties through music.  Ferrick shares the great, swaying feel of “YouLet Me Be” with none other than Ani DiFranco in a highly enjoyable duet thatcould play just as easily as a love song or a friends song.  “Seconds Like These” is catchy, with a solidchorus.  It’s a paean to making the mostout of life.  Ferrick’s songwriting issolid on “One Of A Kind”, finding a rough-hewn, open sound that fits her voice very well.  It’s a great listen with a positive message.

Regret is the theme of “Checking In”; a retrospective on arelationship past that tries to understand what was lost with an air ofcautious indifference and a deep-seated hope for renewal.  The vulnerability here is palpable; castbehind a thinly veiled sheen of intellectual curiosity.  The genius of this song is the utter humanimperfection and honesty of the lyrics.  “IWill Back You Up” is a pragmatic love song. With great writing and a memorable melody, Ferrick creates one of herbest tunes to date while dancing on the line between her more mature works andan almost Indigo Girls-like sound. Ferrick wraps up with the gorgeous contemplation of fall and winter inthe Northeast, “This Time Of Year”. There is no complexity here, just a simple love for the land and theseason that is stunning in its unadulterated beauty.

There was a time, back in the mid-1990’s, when MelissaFerrick was hailed as the next Melissa Etheridge.  Yet she has proved over time that suchmedia-attributed expectations truly can be overcome.  Ferrick has grown considerably over the years,developing into a finely nuanced songwriter who can still pick up a guitar androck your socks off when the mood strikes her. Ferrick has grown more contemplative over the years, zeroing in on adeeper understanding of the world around her through song, but the energy thatruns through her songs hasn’t changed. While “Still Right Here” perhaps doesn’t capture quite the magic thatFerrick managed on 2008’s GoodbyeYouth, it’s not far off the mark. The songwriting is solid-to-excellent throughout, and Ferrick just keepsgetting better over time as a performer. Still Right Here is a worthyeffort.

Rating: 4 Stars(Out of 5)

Learn more about Melissa Ferrick at www.melissaferrick.com or www.myspace.com/melissaferrick.  StillRight Here is available as a CDor Download.  The album is also available via iTunes.

Grace Stumberg - To Whom It May Concern

Grace Stumberg - To Whom It May Concern
2011, Popadelic Records

Grace Stumberg is a 22-year old singer/songwriter from Buffalo, New York who proves that appearances can be deceiving.   But when you hear the big voice that emanates from her 4’11” frame you will be floored.  Stumberg, a graduate of Robbie Takac’s (Goo Goo Dolls) Music In Action career training program, is ready to take on the world with her debut album, To Whom It May Concern.  Showing a depth of songwriting talent you don’t often find in one so young, and a presence that recalls some of the great singer/songwriters of the past, Stumberg is just a break or two away from national recognition.

To Whom It May Concern opens with "Change The World", an anthem of inspiration and aspiration about making dreams come true.  Stumberg shows solid pop sensibility on what turns out to be the weakest offering on the album.  Commitment overcomes the arrangement.  The high point of the song is Grace Stumberg's voice, a gorgeous, velvety alto that works well for folk, pop and rock n roll.  "Happier Side" is a bluesy rocker looking for the bright side in a rough start.  It's a great tune, with big energy and an even bigger sound.  By the end of the tune you'll be thinking may Stumberg is the real deal.  By the end of "To Whom It May Concern" you won't even question it.  Stumberg goes for a more Americana setting this time around, with accordion, violin, acoustic guitar, bass and drums.  Stumberg sings for her own dreams here, declaring a trajectory she won't back down from; her voice is gorgeous and Stumberg creates a moment here.

"Steady" starts from a simple, acoustic guitar led look back at how things and people change over time and turns into a polyphonic, multi-layered anthem of hope.  Stumberg builds the song by layering orchestration and vocal harmonies on a bit at a time, culminating in a grand crescendo of sound and melody that's breathtaking.  "The Roses" shows off the singer/songwriter side of Stumberg.  The ode to her grandmother or to a grandmother-like figure gorgeous details enough aspects of her life to make it real and is a compelling testament of love.  Before it's over there is a lovely, baroque-style orchestration that blends in to what is essentially a folk ballad, creating a moment of beauty so rich and touching you'll be moved whatever your constitution.

"Change My Color" is a live, in-studio recording that likens the changes of seasons to personal transformations, pointing out that both are as unstoppable as any other natural law.  The song features a pretty, singular and stoic melody that is unforgettable, and Stumberg's voice fills it out to perfection.  "Sticks And Stones" is a refreshingly poetic kiss-off song with a quiet undercurrent that is surprisingly catchy.  Stumberg's use of imagery and children's rhymes is novel in the context of someone finally opening her eyes to the truth.  This conceptual coming of age is buttressed by Stumberg's velvety, sultry alto.  It's an amazing piece of song craft.

"My Love", an internal exploration of love gone bad, is matter-of-fact in the telling, but underscored with a touch of regret that makes the song compellingly human.  Stumberg seems to have a knack for using each song as a vessel of truth, whether expressing views of the world around her or matters of the heart.  This ability to enliven ideas marks the great songwriters for who they are, and early indications are that Stumberg has the gift.  "Home" blends Americana, pop and classic rock in a Bruce Hornsby-meets-Bonnie Raitt mashup that's amazing.  It's a catchy, mid-tempo number about finding out where your roots belong.  Stumberg is in fine voice here, and listeners may be left thinking that Stumberg has found something of a home in this sound.  Refusing to be pigeonholed quiet so easily, Stumberg launches into the edgy rocker "Miscommunichicken".  The chorus is almost comical: "Don't spread yourself too thin, cause just like bread on butter you're only gonna get eaten".  Get beyond that, however, and you have a Ben Folds Five inspired rocker marked by heavily percussive piano and a correspondingly raw sound.  It's not Stumberg's best, but is an intriguing window on the breadth and depth of Stumberg's songwriting talent.

"Wartime" is a vibrant piece of rock n roll; full in sound and stark in melody.  What Stumberg has done with finesse up until now, she accomplished with inundating force of sound here.  It's an overloaded classic rock feast that will make a great jam tune for live shows, bordering on the neighborhood of progressive rock without losing the singer-songwriter pastiche.  There are hints of Neil Young here that are impossible to ignore.  To Whom It May Concern closes with "Change The World (Woody Mix)".  The mix is just Stumberg, her guitar, and occasional vocal harmonies.  The song is much more powerful in this stripped down setting, conveying the struggle to make a better world more powerfully as a solitary voice.

Wow.

Wow moments happen in music.  You might hear a certain song and be floored by the message, or the melody, or a turn of phrase.  But it's pretty rare to have that reaction to an entire album; to an artist as a whole.  Grace Stumberg is young and still lacks some of the polish of a seasoned songwriter, but she has a gift that most songwriters would kill for.  Stumberg makes her songs come to life for those willing to listen.  To Whom It May Concern lives and breathes from start to finish, touching on people, places, thoughts, emotions and events with a subtlety and grace that is surprising in an artist so young.  Stumberg can blow out the amps as well, when called for.  It's that knowing when to and not to that marks the dividing lines between a great songwriter and someone who might just be discussed one day in hallowed tones.  It's much too early to tell what Grace Stumberg's final trajectory will be, but she certainly seems to have greatness in her sights.  To Whom It May Concern is a Wildy’s World Certified Desert Island Disc.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Grace Stumberg at www.gracestumberg.com or www.myspace.com/gracestumbergmusic.  To Whom It May Concern is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available via iTunes.

S.J. Tucker - Mischief

S.J. Tucker - Mischief
2010, S.J. Tucker

S.J. Tucker fell into music at the age of three. The was The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour that gave her the gentle shove that changes lives.  A veteran of bands such as Skinny White Chick, Tricky Pixie and The Traveling Fates, Tucker has ten albums under her belt.  A severe illness in 2008 and 2009 knocked Tucker off her feet and off the road for a time, but Tucker is back at with her tenth album, Mischief. Released in 2010, Tucker continues to mature as a songwriter while offering perhaps her most subtle work to date.

Mischief opens with "Ravens In The Library", an interesting personification of society and the roles that we take up in the course of human interaction.  Role are portrayed here as birds out of their element, with the laws of nature and social pecking orders asserting themselves immediately.  It's a cautionary morality tale exploring the effects our words and actions can have on others.  The simple, energetic acoustic guitar-based arrangement is remeniscent of Ani DiFranco, while the vocal line is more Sarah McLachlan.  "Cheshire Kitten (We're All Mad Here)" is an energetic folk number with real energy.  Tucker builds tremendous rhythms into a single acoustic guitar part, supporting herself both musically and rhythmically.  This is an anthem about being yourself in a world that ostracizes individualism, reminding us that we're all born a little off-kilter.  The chorus here is atypical and will stick with you.

"Were-Owl" explores the dangers, and thrills, of romancing darkness.  Tucker delivers her thoughts in a sultry, sensuous vocal line wrapped in stark harmonies.  "Love Lies" is a soulful acapella number that's deliciously arranged.  It's a short tune but full of sparks.  "Don't Get My Hopes Up" features Tucker solo with an acoustic guitar.   If ever a song were perfect for a singer is this one right here.  Tucker transitions through her vocal range with an interesting blend of confidence, insecurity and an unwillingness to waste her time on anything less than the real thing.  The dark and eerily beautiful textures of Tucker's voice will blow you away.

"Neptune" explores falling in love with someone new while looking back on a love that fell out.  The arrangement has a dark, unkempt feel that's strangely beautiful.  "Girl With The Lion's Tail" is a statement of self.  Tucker wants a romance, but doesn't want to be an object or curiosity in that context.  This isn't her best songwriting, but the exploration is an intriguing one.  "September's Rhyme" is another gorgeous acapella piece, this time with a baroque feel.  The vocal harmonies on this one are flat out amazing.  "Salad Of Doom" is tongue-in-cheek take on the healthiest choice on the menu; a highly entertaining moment of lightness.  "Witchka" is a sultry, witchy love song sung with the lusty abandon of young love.  Tucker closes with "To My Valentine", a simply gorgeous love song that could easily become a staple for mix tapes and wedding receptions.  Tucker keeps it simple in both arrangement and sentiment; there's nothing saccharine or contrived here.  An amazing performance.

S.J. Tucker doesn't say no; doesn't back down.  She practices the musical insistence of Ani DiFranco, the melodic intensity of Sarah McLachlan and the parenthetical approach to songwriting that fuels Tori Amos.  Mischief is off the beaten path just enough to intrigue, but not so much as to scare away casual listeners.  Tucker has the charisma and force of personality to wrap you in her charms and have her way with you, and the musical talents to make you love every minute of it.  Mischief is a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

 Learn more about S.J. Tucker at http://www.skinnywhitechick.com/ or www.myspace.com/sjtuckerskinnywhitechick.  Mischief is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available from iTunes.

Bruce Cockburn – Small Source Of Comfort

Bruce Cockburn – Small Source Of Comfort
2011, True North Records

Bruce Cockburn has based his life on deep experience.  Over the years, Cockburn has travelled to the world’s trouble points, to see the truths of human existence for himself.  Cockburn has documented these experiences on thirty albums over the years, with a sense of subtlety and musicality that is rare in rock n roll.  An Officer of the Order of Canada and a member of the Canadian Music Hall Of Fame, Bruce Cockburn’s music has been covered by such artists are Barenaked Ladies, Anne Murray, Ani DiFranco, Dan Fogelberg, Judy Collins and Jimmy Buffett.  On March 8, 2011, Cockburn releases his 31^st album, Small Source Of Comfort.

Small Source Of Comfort opens with “Iris Of The World”, commenting on the tendency of humanity to grab onto meaningless things while overlooking things that matter.  Semi-autographical, the song finds Cockburn perhaps sharing his own role in the human play; recognizing the beauty of a moment and sharing it with others.  This is classic Cockburn, finding the subtle depths of an experience and exposing them in a complex, highly rhythmic and oddly beautiful arrangement.  “Call Me Rose” is a tongue in cheek story song about Richard Nixon reincarnated as a single mother of two kids living in the projects.  It’s something of a Great Reversal concept (“the last will be first and the first will be last”) born of Judeo-Christian theology, but is very amusing and is written from a very human perspective.  In Cockburn’s musical daydream Nixon sees himself for who he was and is a better person for it, even if he continues to long for the old days.  Cockburn sticks to a fairly straight-forward folk-rock arrangement this time around in order to let the story shine through.

“Bohemian 3-Step” is a pretty instrumental that plays like a slow waltz, relying on cross-rhythms, or a variant, to create an intriguing sense of rhythm.  The piece has great energy, and is beautifully crafted.  “Radiance” is a musical meditation on beauty, both in lyrics and music.  Cockburn impresses with unusually beautiful guitar work, capturing an abject loneliness in both his instrument and voice as he looks on from afar.  The cello is a nice touch, completing the tragic displacement of the vocal line in dark and dulcet tones.  This is a musical ‘wow’ moment; a song that’s both heart-breaking and uplifting in its beauty.  “Five Fifty-One” is an edgy story song that plays on the edges of folk, rock and blues.   The story here is a bit disjointed, a calculated effect given the state of mind of the story teller.  The cops show up at his house in the wee hours of the morning and we’re never entirely certain why, but the overall impression is of someone who is dancing on the edge of madness.  Cockburn creates a highly rhythmic arrangement that leaves ample room for acoustic guitar-driven sidebars that will make the most of the would-be guitarists out there wish they could play like that.

“Lois On The Autobahn” is an energetic instrumental that plays off Cockburn’s guitar against a dancing dervish of a violin, capturing a sound not dissimilar from that of Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli.  “Boundless” is a spiritual exploration in song; exploring the similarities between the boundlessness of space and of belief.  Cockburn creates an ethereal feel at the opening with a multitude of bells, but moves quickly into an urgent vocal line over (for Cockburn) a relatively simple arrangement.  The imagery used here has many levels; delivered in poetic prose that is laced deep with references both cultural and theological.  Wit takes over on “Called Me Back”, a humorous take on a call that never comes, and the resulting anxiety over what might have happened to a close friend.  It’s an entertaining turn; a well-placed moment of levity that both highlights Cockburn’s depth as a songwriter and works in much the same fashion as a comic song placed in the middle of a big Broadway musical. 

“Comets Of Kandahar” is a dark instrumental that again pairs Cockburn’s guitar with violin; this time the result is dark with a disturbed energy.  The composition itself is amazing, and was inspired by Cockburn’s trip to Afghanistan to play for Canadian troops in theater.  “Each One Lost”, inspired by the same trip, is a somber tribute to those who have given their lives.  The song is full of heartbreak and plays like a lonely hymn, punctuated by a lonely accordion.  “Parnassus And The Fog” finds Cockburn’s guitar once again paired with violin in a lilting instrumental ballad that plays like a love song.  “Ancestors” is a gorgeous, haunting instrumental full of staccato guitar against a dreamlike background of musical ether.  The affect of the piece is subtle and compelling, as Cockburn builds a story into the rhythm of the song.  Small Source Of Comfort closes with “Gifts”, a quiet celebration of the moments in life that illuminate an emotion, person or place and define meaning for us.    It’s a gorgeous, quiet arrangement that whispers quietly to you about the truth of what’s important in the world.

Bruce Cockburn is a rare gem in the world of singers and songwriters.  His depth and subtlety as both a musician and lyricist puts him in rarefied air.  Small Source Of Comfort is an album that, if not at peace with the world around it, has certainly found the peace that comes with understanding hard truths.  A decade or two ago Cockburn would have railed at government and political machines in a mad frenzy, driving the intricate beauty of his music into exile under the constant barrage of verbal artillery aimed at the injustices of the world.  Small Source Of Comfort takes deadly aim at the same sort of social inconsistencies, but with a subtle grace and veracity that cuts far deeper that some of his past efforts.  Where a younger Bruce Cockburn would have imbued his message with the power of righteous indignation, the songwriter now allows the simple power of truth to blend with the intricate beauty of his musical creations to reach beyond the defenses of even the most politically hardened psyche.  Small Source Of Comfort stands amongst Cockburn’s finest works, and is a Wildy’s World Certified Desert Island Disc.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Bruce Cockburn at www.brucecockburn.com or www.myspace.com/officialbrucecockburn.  Small Source Of Comfort drops in the US on March 8, 2011.  You can order the CD or Digital album through Amazon.com.  The album is also available digitally from iTunes.

Hannah Fairchild - Paper Kingdoms

Hannah Fairchild - Paper Kingdoms
2010, Hannah Fairchild

Minnesota native Hannah Fairchild re-settled in Brooklyn in 2005 with the intent of becoming an actor. Highly artistic with a strong independent streak, Fairchild didn’t take to the bridle of the actor. Fairchild spent her 2006 tax return on a guitar and set out to remake herself as an artist. Four short years later, Fairchild released her debut album, Paper Kingdoms. Recorded entirely independently in Fairchild’s apartment, Paper Kingdoms dances a highly personal path between fantasy and reality as it explores the difficulty of being a girl and growing up in a complicated world.

Paper Kingdoms opens with "Pin Up", a song of consolation to a friend who has gone through a breakup. Cutting and powerfully empathic, Fairchild avoids the usual syrup and sap that such songs seems to inspire. If Paul Simon had a love child with Tori Amos, she might sound a bit like Fairchild here. "All Eyes On Me" is a song of growing self-assurance and power that might reflect recovery from a loss or just a late bloomer coming out of her shell. It's an amazing bit of songwriting that shows a bit of Ani DiFranco influence. "Before The Cold Air Hits Us" documents the angst and gratification of a dysfunctional relationship in chillingly honest terms, focusing on the comfort and familiarity of the situation for both parties. The title here references reality and the hope to dwell in the known a bit longer before reality hits.

"Poor Leander" shows further empathy, this time for a friend whose need to save others lures him into messy relationships again and again. The intriguing narrative recognizes this quality and also his need to seek out the narrator every time that things fall apart. Fairchild gets in-depth with "Cassie At The End Of Things", an intriguingly positive look at falling down. The song digs past complacence to the elements of loss. Fairchild is in her best voice here, and the performance is nothing short of electric. "Nicollet" is a brilliant tune about a broken soul trying to be the beauty she seeks. Stark and hair-raisingly beautiful, the narrator is full of defiance and self-respect in spite of all she's been through. The last two songs on Paper Kingdoms appear to be cut from different musical cloth. On the rest of the album Fairchild has shown an ability to drill down on her subject and tell lyrically dense but concise stories in song. On "Lady Of The Court" and "Long Since Gone" show Fairchild as a more rambling lyricist. One might guess that these two are earlier songs of Fairchild's included here to fill out space. Both show promise but don't have the focus found on the rest of Paper Kingdoms.

Hannah Fairchild has a voice that grabs your attention and holds it, a gorgeous and edgy alto that's as unsettling as it is entrancing. Writing with a ferocious honesty on Paper Kingdoms, Fairchild bears her soul while maintaining a charming yet firm sense of control. Paper Kingdoms is one of the most strikingly honest and beautiful creations to cross this desk in 2010, even accounting for the final two tracks. Don't deprive yourself of the experience that is Hannah Fairchild.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Hannah Fairchild at http://www.hannah-fairchild.com/ or www.myspace.com/hannahintheory.  Paper Kingdoms is available digitally from iTunes.