I had a nasty cold for the first half of the week but
it has receded just in time for the weekend. Huzzah! My MP3 player also had a
cold this week, mysteriously dying Thursday afternoon only to be successfully
revived this morning with a reset. I had a brief spell of panic, but such are
life’s perils for the music lover.
Disc 1226 is… Watershed
Artist:
Amelia Curran
Year of Release: 2017
What’s up with the
Cover?
A part of Amelia Curran’s head, coloured in soothing blue tones. I like it.
How I Came To Know
It: I
read a review of this album in a folk music magazine (Penguin Eggs, I believe)
and decided after hearing a couple of songs it was worth a try.
How It Stacks Up: Amelia Curran has eight studio albums but only
two caught my attention sufficiently to warrant a purchase. Of those two, “Watershed”
is the lesser record. This puts it last in my collection but second best if you
consider six albums didn’t even make the cut.
Ratings: 3 stars
“Watershed” is like a gentle mid-summer rain; a bit sad, but with a
warmth that makes more soothing than depressing.
The record straddles the worlds of alternative country and pop, and it
had me thinking alternately of Mary Chapin Carpenter and Aimee Mann depending
on which tradition a particular song was cleaving to. Her vocals have the same smooth,
low register delivery of both those artists, and a slight bluesy element to the
delivery. Regrettably, I often found myself wishing I was listening to either
of those artists instead.
There is nothing wrong with Curran’s vocals. She isn’t a powerhouse, but she
writes songs that fit it well, and the tone of her voice is rich and
conversational. There are moments where I wish she’d chosen a different
phrasing, but for the most part she sings with a relaxed confidence that sits down
comfortably in the pocket and tells you a story.
When the songs stray to the pop side of the equation, which they do a
fair bit, they tend to lose their gravitas. There are moments on “Watershed” where
it felt like the music was just a smooth inoffensive back drop, like something
you’d hear in the background at an upscale urban lounge. This might be good for
some, but for me music should be centre stage, not part of the scenery.
When she switches to a more folk-country style it is a definite
improvement, and in these songs she sounds uncannily like more recent Mary
Chapin Carpenter. I love Carpenter, and Curran’s songs are just as good
melodically. Lyrically, they didn’t always grab me as much however, with
imagery that felt comfortable but didn’t hold my attention. I’d recall an
example but…like I said.
The best song on the album is “Sunday
Bride” and it is a good one. With a smooth jazz style backbeat, and a
lilting melody that showcases Curran’s voice at her best, I suspect this song
was a big reason I bought the album in the first place. “Sunday Bride” also juxtaposes a mournful Aimee Mann like vocal
performance with some accomplished electric guitar work from Dean Drouillard.
There are plenty of reasons to like “Watershed” and the 3 stars I’ve
given it isn’t me having a soft moment – Curran earns it. It is just that apart
from a couple of stand out tracks, I don’t see myself putting this album on over
other similar music already in my collection. And so I will reluctantly let
this one go and save the shelf space.
Best tracks: Watershed, Sunday Bride, Act of Human Kindness, Stranger
Things Have Happened
No comments:
Post a Comment