The last time I reviewed this next artist it was the last in a flurry of albums (three in 16 albums). It has been a bit of a dry spell since then, mostly because she hasn’t released a solo album in four years.
Disc 1401 is…. World on the Ground
Artist: Sarah Jarosz
Year of Release: 2020
What’s up with the Cover? I’m not sure this constitutes an entire world on the ground, but there certainly appears to be two birds on the ground. They are huddled pretty close together, so I assume either it is quite cold out, or maybe there is a tasty bug they’re both angling for.
How I Came To Know It: I was already a fan of Sarah Jarosz, so when she released a new album I checked it out.
How It Stacks Up: I now have four Sarah Jarosz albums, and this one comes in at a #1. This bumps all the previous albums down one spot since the previous recap so let’s er…recap again:
- World on the
Ground: 4 stars (reviewed right here)
- Undercurrent: 4 stars (reviewed at Disc 1004)
- Follow Me Down: 3 stars (reviewed
at Disc 996)
- Build Me Up From Bones: 2 stars (reviewed at Disc 1012)
Ratings: 4 stars
Sarah Jarosz has been busy for the last few years making some fine folk music in the supergroup, “I’m With Her.” With “World on the Ground” she makes her triumphant return as a solo artist.
If you didn’t know Jarosz, you might wonder how she would replace the musical talents of Aoife O’Donovan and Sara Watkins so easily, but the answer is simple: she just plays all the instruments herself. Well…not all of them, just the guitar, octave mandolin, regular mandolin, bouzouki and clawhammer banjo. The rest of the band fills in on whatever is left. Be assured, this is not a vanity project for Jarosz – she’s just picking the best player, which is usually her. She has a surfeit of musical talent and while her mandolin playing is in a class of its own (the work on “Pay It No Mind” is particularly worth your time). She’s pretty damned incredible on all those other instruments as well.
As with her last solo record, “Undercurrent”, “World on the Ground” shows Jarosz employing multiple styles, working pop, jazz and even a hint of blues in with her usual Americana folk sound. And while “Undercurrent” showcases a lot of musical genius, “World on the Ground” takes a subtler but just as effective approach, with Jarosz playing as relaxed as I’ve ever heard her. Mature in her sound, and confident in her talent the result is an album that settles down into itself and takes the time to impress you with its subtlety.
The production is also a lot lusher, with a fair bit of resonance and big round notes. On “Orange and Blue” this adds a nice richness, particularly in the lower bass notes (one of the few things Jarosz isn’t playing).
On “Hometown” the same approach makes the song even more contemplative, as Jarosz tells the story of a woman who escapes her small town, only to find herself years later back again, looking back on how all her experiences led her home. It isn’t an upbeat journey, but it isn’t a total heartbreak either. If anything it is a song of acceptance that things don’t always end up like you expect they will. Jarosz’ sweet tones reminded me favourably of Suzy Bogguss as her character tries to sort out just what it all means for her, with us listening in real time.
Jarosz takes on plenty of characters on the album, grounding them with song titles like “Johnny” and “Maggie.” I particularly loved “Maggie”, who could easily be the young woman who returns years later on “Hometown.” Here, it is all about youthful rebellion. Our heroine intends to get out of town in a blue Ford Escape (the relevance to the car being very much part of the song’s imagery). The subject of a strong-willed woman driver, making an otherwise pedestrian vehicle heroic made me think of the Justin Townes Earle song, “Champagne Corolla”. In turn, that got me choking up about his untimely death. Rest in peace, Justin.
“World on the Ground” is also well structured. Right after the wistful “Maggie” we get “What I Do” with Jarosz demonstrating that even the simplest strum pattern can be magical when played with grace and feeling. Each note drips off her guitar like a bead of honey, hanging in time, only to land, full and sweet, exactly when it should. In many ways, it is a microcosm of the whole record, which is only 35 minutes long but still manages to artfully linger.
It has been great to watch an artist grow through her career, and Sarah Jarosz just keeps getting better and better.
Best tracks: Pay it No Mind, Hometown, Orange and Blue, Maggie, What Do I Do
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