The album gets off to a great start with "Be My Butterfly," which has a cool, easygoing groove that gives the track an undeniably catchy element, particularly in the bass work. But it is Rebecca's beautiful vocal performance that is the center and heart here. And actually, the vocal line has a catchy rhythm to it at times. "There's a window that's over the bar/Looking like a rocket, looking like a rocket/There's a staircase into the light." There is some excellent work on strings too, adding to the track's appeal, giving it an unexpectedly spellbinding quality. As I mentioned, even though this album is not tied specifically to Los Angeles, this song takes place there, at a hotel, and its lyrics refer to a famous street here: "There's a mirror over the bed/Looking down on Sunset, looking down on Sunset." This song was released as the album's first single back in April, and it's a wonderful track to start things off. That's followed by "Dasharatha," an interesting song that tells the story of a king, his son and his wife Kaikeyi. This story was not familiar to me, but its themes of jealousy and despair are likely familiar to us all. "So he walks into the river/He walks into the river/Cover his shoulders/Covers his head/To wash away the memory." This one too contains some good work on strings. In fact, it feels like the emotional core of the story is within that work on strings, particularly because of the placement of that lead. "In my beginning/Is my end."
The guitar work at the beginning of "Queen Of The Fields" pulls me in, helping to set the tone and create a strong atmosphere, a specific world. This song was inspired by the story of Sita, a Hindu goddess who is held captive. This track contains a gorgeous vocal performance. There is a dreamy quality to this song, and it's one of my personal favorites. "I need simple direction/A steady hand driving the plow." There is a cool layering of the vocals in the section at the end when she sings, "She walks in beauty/She's the queen of the field." Then "Where Is The Man?" features a seriously cool sound that has a sort of timeless aspect to it, with a beautiful and dramatic vocal performance. "Where is the man/With the shining face/Who alone is the handsome one/Radiant, who has conquered love with no jealousy/Destroyer of his enemies/Possessing all the qualities." This is one of the two tracks to feature Eszter Balint on violin, and she delivers some wonderful and striking work. "Where is the man/With no thing hidden."
"The Pleasing Waters Of Jahnavi" is a beautiful, captivating folk song. It has a delicious, timeless vibe, especially because of Rebecca's vocal performance, which has an ethereal quality. "The sound they made was beautiful/All the creatures heard their song/Down by the pleasing waters of Jahnavi." After those lines, some really nice percussion work is introduced, adding another layer to this excellent track. That's followed by "Drumlins." Interestingly, this one begins with a spoken word section: "I saw you through the trees/Walking up to me/Black dog running at your heels/Quartering the field." Then when she begins to sing, it is those same lines delivered again. The song soon kicks in, taking on some rock elements, an engaging combination of sounds. "On waking fom the dream/Oh, what are you to me/Pain of mothers gone before."
"Monkey Man" is the other song to feature Eszter Balint on violin, and it's a fascinating number, grabbing us from the start. "Let me not eat what you eat/Let me not sleep when you sleep." There is a sort of insistent rhythm to the vocal line, holding our attention. Then she sings, "Let me be your monkey/Let me be your monkey/Let me be your monkey man," and for that last line, she drops into her lower register, delivering it almost as spoken word. Then "Warm Stone" begins with an intimate, almost delicate sound on guitar, and Rebecca looks inward from the song's first lines: "I looked down in my soul/Found granite there/But it was a warm steady stone." After a minute or so, it kicks in, and features some strong, beautiful work on stings. "I saw that woman there/Lost in despair/And I knew that it was I." And in this song she mentions songwriting: "I was never much good at talking/Can't even write a proper song/To tell you how much I love you/Wanna be a rock."
"Hypnotize Me" begins with just acoustic guitar supporting Rebecca's voice. "Mornings I'm okay/That's a time I call my own/But then something that you say/Shows up on the telephone/Oh, to hypnotize me." Soon the strings join her. "I should get away/I'm a slave to this machine." It seems that these days many people are slaves to their phones. Just try to put that machine down, leave it at home when you go out, or even just ignore it when it makes a noise demanding your attention. There is a really nice raw quality to this one, which fits well with the lyrics. "And though I know/You're just lying through the phone/I see myself suddenly sliding/And I'm buying." Rebecca Pidgeon wraps up the album with "Myself," grabbing us with its opening lines: "I'm at war with my own nature/And it's a battle to the death/Someone's got to save me/And it has to be myself." This is one that I think many people will be able to relate to. It's an incredible song, one of the album's best, with a vocal performance that is tremendously moving. I also love the way the strings swell. "Sometimes it's hard to find the good inside/But there's a place of silence/Where beauty resides." A lot of us have some work to do in this regard. Exterior situations and circumstances have turns things rotten inside too. Many folks are feeling it, and it's time to find that beauty and strength within.
CD Track List
- Be My Butterfly
- Dasharatha
- Queen Of The Fields
- Where Is The Man?
- The Pleasing Waters Of Jahnavi
- Drumlins
- Monkey Man
- Warm Stone
- Hypnotize Me
- Myself
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