CD Odyssey Disc 1324: Sera Cahoone

I had resolved to get three reviews in this week, but a combination of pre-Christmas socializing and a very short walk to and from work held me to two.

I’m not complaining, however. It is hard to be upset about either seeing friends or getting home early.

Disc 1324 is… Self Titled

Artist: Sera Cahoone

Year of Release: 2006

What’s up with the Cover? Part of a photo of Sera Cahoone. She appears to be in a car – maybe she’s blindfolded and being taken to a surprise party! We’ll never know though, because of that decision to crop the photo. It does appear that she’s not wearing a seatbelt though, so if there’s a crash it will be one hell of buzz kill for the people waiting to surprise her. They’ll probably call the whole thing off, and head for the emergency room. And in all the hubbub the damned shrimp ring will be left out and end up going off, or get eaten by the cat, cat’s being notorious for never letting a crisis get in the way of a good meal.

But I digress…

How I Came to Know It: It was a bit of an adventure. I got to know this album when I was digging through Cahoone’s discography back in 2016. She only had three records then, and I quickly bought the other two, but do you think I could find her debut album? No reader, I could not.

That’s not entirely true. I found it on Amazon with one of those Amazon jacked-up prices they employ when they can no longer get something from a distributor. I think it must have been $100 or something ridiculous. If you resort to buying online, don’t fall for that trick and assume you can’t find it elsewhere.

I did find it elsewhere, for sale direct from Cahoone's website. This time the price was reasonable (maybe…$20 US?) but the shipping was some enormous amount, like another $10 US. That and the exchange rate put an end to that approach as well.

But I am a patient man, and I kept this damned record on my “to get” list for the past three years. Then, when I went to Portland earlier this year there it was; a used copy just sitting on the shelf, waiting for me to arrive. All is now right with the world.

How It Stacks Up:  With the addition of her 2017 release "From Where I Started"  have four Sera Cahoone albums, which is all of them so far. Of those, I put this self-titled effort in at #4. It is good, but someone had to be last.

Ratings: 3 stars but almost 4

Bill Withers once said “if you’re gonna do it, do it good.” He had quite a laundry list of things you could attempt on that song, but I think the underlying message was that you should put some focus into whatever specific thing you’re doing, and then excel at it.

On Sera Cahoone’s debut album, she has seemingly taken Withers’ advice, sticking to a few basic ingredients in her music: simple strum patterns on guitar, vocals that are confident but never strident, and even production that lets you take it in on your own terms. And yes, she does it good.

In structure the songs are country music, but if you aren’t sure there is plenty of mournful pedal and lap steel to confirm your suspicions. However, the introspective whisper she applies to instruments and vocals alike reveal that Cahoone has the soul of a folk singer.

Whether it’s folk or country, don’t expect displays of virtuosity on the acoustic guitar strums. A former drummer, Cahoone understands the percussive importance of guitar, and on these songs it reminded me of a mandolin in a bluegrass song, holding the rhythm so everything else – banjo, violin, steel guitar – can flare up around it with little splashes of light here and there.

Cahoone’s vocals are earthy and ethereal, landing emotionally somewhere between a couple discussing their relationship as they put dishes away and the snug of a crocheted blanket on a winter night. These are songs that scream “cabin in the woods”. Not the murderous kind that Josh Whedon introduced us to mind you, but rather the idyllic kind. The kind with a warm glow from the fire in the hearth and snow on the roof. The kind you’ll be seeing on some of the cheaper Christmas cards you’ll be receiving soon in the mail – but obviously nicer.

I did wish that Cahoone’s vocals would be higher in the mix, but that’s not her style. If you want to hear what secrets she’s telling you, you’ll have to pay attention. Unfortunately, the songs lope along so free and easy, they encouraged my mind to wander. Sometimes I was straining to hear what Cahoone was saying, and sometimes the tune let my mind wander to other places. I’d like to think those wanderings had an emotional connection to the song playing at the time, but I can’t be sure.

One song that did stand out lyrically, was “Couch Song” which was one of those ‘snug in a blanket’ moments that was less than idyllic. Cahoone sings:

“If we don't talk

I won't mind
'Cause it's the only way
To get along sometime”

Cahoone reminds us that sometimes a relationship needs to let a little silence reign. One day I hope to figure this out. For now, silence is not my strong suit.

However, if you want a crash course in how to be a little quieter and find some wisdom in the gentle curves of your mind, then listening to this record is a fine way to practice. It’ll all be over in a tasteful ten songs and 36 minutes, but I encourage you to go back and play it again. Your mind probably wandered a couple times in there.

Best tracks: Nowhere to Be Found, Last Time, Couch Song, I’m On Your Side, What a Shame