The album's opening track, "Mirror," begins with some pretty guitar work. The rhyme of the song's first lines, "Heard you got another dollar, what's that to ya/All you want's another chance at hallelujah," can't help but call Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" to mind. There is an energy to Mike Pope's vocal performance that is in some contrast to the gentle guitar work, and his voice is joined by some beautiful backing vocals. There is a vibrant beauty to the vocal work. "Heard you're bent on breaking things that are trouble to ya." This is a really strong and compelling opening track. It is followed by "Steep Cracked Rocks," which has a classic folk sound as it starts, featuring really good stuff on guitar. Again there is an energy to his voice. You get the sense of him not really needing a microphone, being able to reach a crowd without any sort of amplification. "I look too deeply and I hear those thoughts/I pick myself up." This track also features a nice bass line. Jeff McElroy plays bass on this one. The song ends abruptly and appropriately with the line "But right now I don't feel like talkin'," which is amusing.
"To Teach And To Sow" has an intriguing beginning, with more electronic sounds mixed with acoustic ones. A folk sound begins to emerge from this unusual atmosphere, as the winds continue to blow around the proceedings. Orion Ferguson is on synths here, helping to create that atmosphere. "And that's to teach what can be known/And that's to sow what can be grown." This is a seriously cool song, and its conclusion is as wild as its beginning. Then we get "Maryanne." A glance at the track list on the back of the case reveals this is the first of three "Maryanne" songs, and the titles of the other two are part of the reason for my initial interest in this disc: "Maryanne (Again)" and "Maryanne (Again And Again)." We have those people who persist in our lives, don't we? The titles have that feel. Anyway, this song has a folk feel, in some contrast to the previous track. "Maryanne talks about love/It's like it comes from stars above/Like there's something that it's made up of/That only she knows." This is a song that I appreciate more and more as it continues. "And all that she asked of me was to be thoughtful/Not to go on singing my words like they were gospel/But now she's got me built up into being something awful."
There is a bit of studio noise at the start of "Shooting Star," and then the song begins with a sweet guitar part. There is something adorable about this song. Here is a taste of the lyrics: "And I ain't waiting 'til 9/No, I ain't waiting 'til 9/She either comes or not, that's fine/But I ain't waiting 'til 9/And I ain't waiting 'til 10." I love the humor in that, because obviously when he sings that he won't wait until 10, it means he's already waited past 9 (and 8, for that matter, as noted in the first lines). I suppose that's even clearer here: "And I ain't waiting a week/Well, maybe I'll just give it a week." There is some wonderful backing vocal work on this track too. (By the way, the CD case lists another song here, "Ain't It Strange," but that song is not on this album. It is actually the lead track on Mike Pope's other album released at the same time.) "Shooting Star" is followed by "St. Augustine." Clinton Davis plays violin on this track, delivering some really nice work right from the start. This song mentions Bob Dylan in its first lines: "Well, last night I had Bob Dylan's dream/I dreamed I saw Saint Augustine/And he was looking for them troubled souls." After approximately a minute and a half, the song kicks in to become a fun bluegrass number, the violin taking off. What a delight! There is some delicious stuff on banjo too. After that great instrumental section, those first lines are delivered again, but at a quicker pace now, fitting with this bluegrass sound.
"My Gods" has a darker opening, a haunting sound featuring some gorgeous work on strings. Anna Levitt plays violin on this track, and Jody Bagley delivers some really interesting work on piano. "I've got my gods, ain't giving them names." This is another of the disc's highlights, a song that almost overwhelms us. That's followed by "Ain't It Fine," which begins with some soft work on guitar, and really begins to shine when the vocals come in. "Oh, the springtime must have come/Because the earth is sweet with flowers." This is an absolutely wonderful song, featuring excellent vocal work, a great blending of voices. The sound, which has a classic feel to it, makes me feel good. And don't we all need that these days?
Then we get the second "Maryanne," titled "Maryanne (Again)." It's not a different song, but rather a different version of the same song. Its differences are apparent from the start. This is a cool, intimate, raw rendition, delivered in a more straightforward way. It has the feel of a live performance. That's followed by the album's sole cover, Townes Van Zandt's "None But The Rain." The guitar is soft, the vocals at the fore. This track features beautiful harmonies. "So tell me gently, who'll be your lover/Who'll be your lover after I'm gone/Will it be the moon that hears to your sighing/Will it be the willow that hears your lonesome song?" The album concludes with its third "Maryanne," titled "Maryanne (Again And Again)." This one has a cool back porch vibe. Each of the three renditions has its own sound, its own different approach. This one becomes more lively as it progresses, particularly in the vocal work.
CD Track List
- Mirror
- Steep Cracked Rocks
- To Teach And To Sow
- Maryanne
- Shooting Star
- St. Augustine
- My Gods
- Ain't It Fine
- Maryanne (Again)
- None But The Rain
- Maryanne (Again And Again)
Songs For People High & Low was released on October 7, 2022, and is available on both CD and vinyl.
interesting read
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