Welcome back to the CD Odyssey, where we are getting our second female English singer in a row (although this next one was technically born in Australia).
Disc 1429 is…. A Dark Murmuration of Words
Artist: Emily Barker
Year of Release: 2020
What’s up with the Cover? A painting of a lakeshore, with just a hint of a kelpie forming a whirlpool to draw an unsuspecting person to the watery depths.
How I Came To Know It: When you buy albums from Bandcamp, Bandcamp remembers [cue ominous music]. The benefit of this is you get notified when the band you like releases a new record. The detriment is that Bandcamp also notifies you of every other little thing the band might do, like release a single, or a new collectible tea cozy. I have yet to find the setting for “full albums only”.
Anyway, I’ve ordered a lot of Emily Barker through Bandcamp, so when the website told me she had a new album I was pretty excited. I listened to it, liked it, and ordered it. I even bought the deluxe “booklet” version, which comes with all the lyrics as well as an autographed photo of Ms. Barker as a bonus.
How It Stacks Up: I now have six Emily Barker albums. I’ll put “A Dark Murmuration of Words” in at a respectable #3, bumping “Despite the Snow” by the narrowest of margins in the process.
Ratings: 3 stars
Fortunately for the listener, “A Dark Murmuration of Words” is a reference to a lyric in one of the album’s songs and not how Emily Barker sings. Instead, we are treated to a birdsong of words, as Barker delivers another solid contemporary folk record full of mystery and romance.
Barker’s vocals are a treat for the ear, and she knows how to write lilting, captivating melodies that take advantage of her voice’s best features. The tone is sweet and high, but with a hint of darkness around the edges.
She is also a gifted guitar player, with an easy and complementary style. It is exemplified best on “Geography” where she plays a simple pick pattern to start and then adds just a few additional notes to add a splash of colour as the rest of the band picks up the song. It is one of the better produced songs on the record.
Barker maintains plenty of her mystery on the record as well. “Sonogram” features an anthemic build, and slow but majestic piano. Combined with her ethereal but powerful vocals, they had me comparing her favourably with Enya. Yes, that’s a good thing.
Unfortunately, I can’t say that for all the songs. “Where Have the Sparrows Gone?” is a thoughtful song that artfully mixes pastoral imagery with the grim threat of genocide. However, I had a hard time getting past the drum machine and drone of organ. Their use blanches some of the power of the song away into a smooth but bland jazz back-eddy.
My more general complaint with “A Dark Murmuration…” is the focus on bass and high treble in the mix, at the expense of the mid-range. The plan is to let Barker’s voice float high above the tune, twisting and diving through those thoughtful melodies. That plan works, and I have no complaints as she delivers some nuanced and emotional vocal performances. However, I would have liked a bit more mid-range, if for no other reason than to let her gifted guitar playing get a bit more stage time.
“Strange Weather” is an example of better decision making, with a couple of guitars trilling along to Barker’s voice. The song is about welcoming a child into the world. It’s not exactly the kind of thing I’m usually drawn to, but there’s no denying the simple beauty of the tune. The song is a call for calm, and the importance of family, delivering a welcome and reassuring message during a pandemic.
Overall, the album features just too much talent and quality music to let a few bits of pseudo-electronica get in the way of my overall enjoyment, and I’m glad it has joined my Emily Barker collection.
Best tracks: Return Me, Geography, Strange Weather, Any More Goodbyes
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