Andrea Marr: “Natural” (2017) CD Review

Andrea Marr’s new album, Natural, is bursting with horns and soul, and has a classic sound, though it features mostly original material. In fact, there are only two covers on this album; the rest were written or co-written by Andrea Marr. Several of these tracks were recorded five years ago and appeared on Andrea Marr’s Sass & Brass EP. The rest were recorded this year, with a mostly different set of musicians (though Dave Reynolds on guitar and Sean Rankin on trumpet play on all tracks). Andrea Marr is based in Melbourne, Australia.

Andrea Marr kicks off the album with “Force Of Nature,” a song that comes on strong, with a whole lot of energy, like the song itself is trying to be the force Andrea sings of – though the force spoken about in this song is a man. “I’m like a leaf in the wind, blowing all out of control/His love is like a whirlwind blowing right through my soul now.” I dig the horns.  And though Andrea is belting out the lyrics here and there is a lot of energy behind her vocals, I feel some of the other tracks feature her best vocal performances. One of those tracks is the following song, “Rock Steady,” one of the album’s two covers. It’s a funky gem written and originally recorded by Aretha Franklin. Andrea does a great job with it, though I do miss the backing vocalists echoing “What it is” from Aretha’s original version. Andrea really lets loose here, getting into it, living it, working it, and seeming to have a lot of fun. What a good groove. And of course I love the horns. In the second half of the song, the backing vocalists come in to repeat “Rock steady, what it is, what it is,” while Andrea gets even more wild. And check out that guitar work at the end.

“Mama Got It Wrong Sometimes Too” is a seriously a cool tune, in which Andrea pays tribute to motherhood while also keeping in mind that mothers are human.  “Mama held your hand, did the best that she could/You’ll never know until you stand where she stood/Hey, child, do what your mama told you to/Hey, child, do what your mama told you to/But you got to remember mama got it wrong sometimes too.” This song has a great rhythm, and features a sort of spoken word section, where Andrea is backed by some sparse percussion that grows as she continues. And the song then builds again from there. This is one of my favorites, and is one of the songs from the earlier EP. That’s followed by “Grateful,” also a strong track, in which Andrea sings, “Every day that I’m breathing, I’m grateful, I know/Every day that I’m walking, talking, dancing, flying/Grateful, I know.” I feel this way a good deal of the time, but a reminder is still needed at times, particularly in these days of rampant lies and horrors from the cretins occupying the nation’s capital, days when it is so easy to slip into anger and despair. I’m guessing a lot of folks are going to appreciate this song.

Another favorite is “That’s Where Love Ends,” a delicious, classic-sounding soul number that was included on the earlier EP.  This one features an excellent vocal performance – strong, emotional, heartfelt. Listen to her sing, “Like a note that hangs in the air after the song ends/Oh, that’s where my love will find you.” And her voice rises to some wonderful heights after that. Plus, this track features some excellent work on saxophone. This is a fantastic track from beginning to end. It’s followed by the fun “Let’s Take It To The Bedroom.” No, nothing subtle about this one. “So if it’s all right with you, let’s take it to the bedroom/Never too soon, baby/Take it to the bedroom.” Hey, it’s all right with me! And then there is a sexy kind of spoken word section. “You know I wrote this song/Because men think that women want to talk all night long/You know, sometimes I don’t want to talk at all/I just, I just, I just want to get busy.” My girlfriend is going to appreciate this one. I have to play it for her soon.

“What Do I Have To Do (To Prove My Love To You),” the album’s other cover, is a kind of funky and groovy number written and originally performed by Marva Whitney. Andrea really sinks her teeth into this track, and the results are seriously good. And there is plenty of cool work from the horn players, particularly in the jam in the middle of the track. The next track, “Snakes,” also has a funky vibe. And guess which people I think of when I hear a line like “Some people walking around, lies dripping from their tongues” (hint: they are pretending to be the leaders of the country). And, hey, supporters of the current administration might want to pay attention to this line: “’Cause when a liar keeps lying, only a fool is gonna trust.”

CD Track List

1. Force Of Nature
2. Rock Steady
3. Mama Got It Wrong Sometimes Too
4. Grateful
5. That’s Where Love Ends
6. Let’s Take It To The Bedroom
7. Credit
8. What Do I Have To Do
9. Snakes
10. Real Good Man
11. Sticks & Stones 

Natural is scheduled to be released on October 31, 2017.

Acting Natural: “Acting Natural” (2017) CD Review

Looking at the cover of Acting Natural’s self-titled debut EP, it’s easy to guess this trio was influenced by The Beatles. And of course the band’s name makes me think of the Buck Owens song “Act Naturally,” which was famously covered by The Beatles in 1965, with Ringo Starr on lead vocals. And, sure, The Beatles are among this young group’s influences. But they’re not trying to copy that band, and their sound takes inspiration from other places and other decades than the 1960s. They possess a good sense of fun, and they seem to have given a good deal of attention to getting the vocals just right. The band is made up of Eric Carnevale on vocals, guitar, piano, organ and percussion; James David Maney on bass and vocals; and Jesse Leonard on drums and vocals. Originally from Tampa, Florida, they are now based in New York.

The CD’s opening track, “The One,” has a distinct 1960s pop rock sound, both in the music and in the vocal delivery, especially in the way they harmonize. But it is not an attempt to imitate a particular sound, but rather it shows a mix of influences. For example, the cool bass line has a more contemporary feel. And partway through, the song takes on a different groove for an interesting bridge. The lyrics are fairly straightforward: “I don’t wanna play games/I don’t wanna be the fool/I just wanna be the one for you.” And who doesn’t want to hear that? That’s followed by “Nicole,” which has a mellower pop sound. This one has more of a 1980s thing happening, particularly in the chorus.

For me, this EP starts to really get going with “Pairadice,” a fun and catchy tune, its title obviously a play on the word “paradise” – that love is both a glorious thing and a gamble. They play on that idea throughout, with lines like “You can’t win every time” and “Sometimes I think I must have lost my mind.” But it’s the sound of this one that really makes it a memorable track, with elements of disco and a catchy vocal line in the chorus. It’s ultimately a positive-sounding tune. As good as it is, it’s the following track, “Bloom,” that is my personal favorite. This one has a sweeter folk-pop vibe that is absolutely wonderful. And check out the opening lines: “Oh, the snow, the birds and the bees/And the gin and the weed and the love.” I love how they start to establish a sort of cheesy vibe with that first line, “the birds and the bees,” then immediately work against that with the second line, which is a continuation of the thought, but in a more realistic direction. “The years tick by/The toys and the bikes and the games/And the spies, they just don’t shine like they used to/Holidays just aren’t the same.” This is a really good song.

“Early Morning,” to my ears, has the most obvious nod to The Beatles in its sound. “Left my heart open like a door that I kept cracked/Just for you.” The EP then concludes with a fun, solid rock song titled “Missed The Train.” “I missed the train/Wondered why I came/Addicted to the pain/In every memory that we made.” And I love that lead on guitar in the second half of the song.

CD Track List

1. The One
2. Nicole
3. Pairadice
4. Bloom
5. Early Morning
6. Missed The Train

Acting Natural was released on CD on October 27, 2017. It was released digitally on September 22nd.

The Blueblack Hussar DVD Review

There is a bit of narration at the beginning of The Blueblack Hussar about how in the 1980s Adam Ant was at the height of his fame. So true. Adam And The Ants had several hits in the UK, and then when Adam started his solo career he began having success in the US as well. “But then tragedy struck, and after a nervous breakdown, he found himself sectioned under the Mental Health Act, locked up and forcibly sedated, putting him in a state of artistic oblivion,” the narrator tells us. “This is the story of his brave return from exile,” the narrator promises.

Except it’s not, at least not exactly. The movie hardly mentions his breakdown or mental health again, and doesn’t really show us Adam Ant’s struggles. And the narration completely disappears. That’s not to say that The Blueblack Hussar isn’t interesting. But it is certainly not the film it promises to be. It basically has the feel of home movies rather than a documentary. People on screen are never identified. So either it’s assumed we know who all these people are, or it doesn’t matter who they are. The camera basically follows Adam Ant around, and sometimes he speaks directly to the camera, as at the beginning when he tells us that the blueblack hussar is the follow-up to his famous white stripe across his face, but more often he’s speaking to those around him, but for the benefit of the camera and the film’s audience as well. On the way to a gig, he pulls out the night’s set list. “It’s a long one.” Indeed, it is. He also says the two places he’s happiest are on stage and in bed, and I wish someone were there to ask him further about this, to explore the reasons why he’s not as happy when he’s not performing, one way or another.

There are a lot of ordinary details captured in this movie. We see Adam Ant applying makeup, posing for photos, getting a tattoo, and so on. And there is some weird footage of him dancing in his home and some woman trying to follow his steps and gestures for some reason. It’s really bizarre. Why is she doing this? Who is she? I really wish those on screen were identified. Likewise, the locations. There is some seriously enjoyable concert footage, but the venues and dates of the shows are largely left unmentioned. He sings, “I want to make my intentions very clear/I want to fuck you in the ass/I want to fuck you on the floor.” And I like the footage of him performing “Press Darlings,” a cool punk tune.

Interestingly, before you know it, you’re sort of immersed in his world, like you’re one of the odd characters surrounding him. Was that the intention behind not identifying people, to make us feel like we must already know them? Though there are no proper interviews done specifically for the film, there is footage of Adam Ant being interviewed on the radio, and footage of him being interviewed by someone else in a house. That’s actually in some ways more interesting, because we are detached from the process a bit, looking on as someone else struggles to set up and work the camera while Adam waits – something that the filmmaker of this documentary could very well have had to deal with had he chosen to go the normal route with this film. There is even a dog that gets in the way.

The film includes footage of him meeting Charlotte Rampling. Apparently, Adam is a big fan of the film The Night Porter (hell, so am I), and wants her to perform one of his songs. He jokes about doing a “world tour of London,” causing Charlotte to laugh. I also like the footage of him in a recording studio, singing “Ca Plane Pour Moi.” And wow, check out his backing vocalist’s amazing fuzzy sweater. And I love the footage of him with artist Allen Jones. It seems this film is often at its most interesting – and Adam is at his most interesting – when he is with someone he respects, and the focus is shared. Perhaps it is then we see a bit more of who he really is.

Though the film doesn’t get into any of his troubles, or even the reasons for his returning to music (other than he’s happiest when on stage), there is something of a progression shown. From small gigs to a show at Hyde Park before a large crowd, which concludes the film, showing that he is clearly back in the spotlight.

Special Features

The DVD includes some bonus footage, more concert footage. Interestingly, this footage is clearly identified. The first bit is a snippet (approximately two minutes) from a show Adam Ant did at The Scala in London on November 21, 2010. The sound isn’t great. The second is from Jazz Café on March 31, 2011, and this footage features Adam singing “Young Parisians” with Boy George. It is approximately three and a half minutes, and is totally delightful. The third is from The Electric Ballroom on December 16, 2010, with Adam Ant performing “Deutscher Girls.” Very cool.

The special features also include a Q&A with Jack Bond and John Robb recorded at Riverside Studios on June 24, 2013. Jack Bond talks about meeting Adam Ant for the first time. “When I met him, I was kind of entranced by him.” And that led to him deciding to make the film. He talks about the style of filmmaking used in this documentary. He says: “I think it does create its own narrative. But finding that narrative and eliminating what you don’t want is the hardest part. I think that is the struggle.” This is approximately fourteen minutes, and includes snippets from the film he made with Salvador Dali. Jack Bond does compare Dali and Adam Ant.

The Blueblack Hussar was directed by Jack Bond, and was released on DVD on October 16, 2015.

Rick And The All-Stars: “The Sighting” (2016) CD Review

There is a certain number that seems to come up every single day for me. That number is 37. It is my birthday: 3/7 (and I was born during the reign of the country’s 37th president). It is the number of plays that Shakespeare wrote (unless you count The Two Noble Kinsmen, which I don’t). It is the height in feet of the Green Monster at Fenway. It is the number of dicks that Dante’s girlfriend sucked in Clerks. In Monty Python And The Holy Grail, the man that Arthur called old says, “I’m 37.” There is an episode of The Simpsons where Homer tells Marge to guess a number between 1 and 50, and she immediately guesses 37 (leading Homer to say “D’oh!”). The other day at work, a truck drove past the set with “37” in large black letters on the side, and no other writing. No idea what that was about. Anyway, it comes up every day. When I began reading the liner notes for The Sighting, the latest release from Rick And The All-Stars, the first thing I saw was “Day #37, 7 am.” The number is mentioned two more times in the liner notes, liner notes which incorporate the titles of the CD’s tracks into a log entry. I bring this up because it could be important. Like Richard Dreyfuss says in Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, “This means something.”

Anyway, The Sighting is the second release by Rick And The All-Stars, following 2015’s The Invisible Session. Like that previous album, this one was recorded in a single day (on July 8, 2016, not the year’s 37th day, in case you’re wondering). It was recorded live at the Invisible Sound recording studio, with only two overdubs added. Rick And The All-Stars consists of Rick Pressler on guitar, John Shock on keys, Hoppy Hopkins on drums, Dan Naiman on saxophone, and Paul Margolis on bass and guitar. (You might also know Shock, Hopkins, Naiman and Margolis as The Stone Hill All-Stars.)

The album opens with “Her Most Recent Missive,” a seriously cool, slow bluesy dark jazz number. Dan Naiman’s saxophone is the strong voice of the piece, calling out to us from a concrete corner, a place from where hope is perhaps retreating. But the keyboard and guitar march in, providing light, but maybe also announcing danger. And then, bam, we’re led straight into a joyous number that caught me off guard. In this one, titled “Como Altar Kuchu,” the horn sounds so happy, and seems to want to make you happy too. And why not? I totally dig the rhythm created by Hoppy Hopkins on drums and Paul Margolis on bass. Plus, there is some cool stuff on keys and guitar. This is a tune certain to get you smiling, tapping your toes, and we can all use tunes like that these days.

The band then goes into a funky, hip number called “The Sighting,” the album’s title track, one of my personal favorites. I imagine some against-the-rules detective following some suspicious individual into a parallel universe where prime numbers dress in flashes of light and the air has drug-like qualities and mirrors pay your bar tab. This tune develops into a cool jam, with all the musicians grooving and shining. That’s followed by “Mrs. Bianchi,” which begins as a mellower bluesy number, then halfway through picks up a groovy rhythm, those brushes playing across the snare. There is some wonderful work on guitar here.

“Camp Ephilus” is another of my favorites. It begins with just saxophone, then takes on a sort of strong, tribal rhythm. At a certain point, the guitar and keys remind me a bit of Phish, a kind of electronic, insistent rhythm, but the percussion continues that raw, delicious thing it’s got going on, and the saxophone is coming from a tough smoky old jazz club. It all adds up to something fantastic, a track I enjoy more each time I listen to this disc. And then it gets quieter, maybe sneaky, and you wonder what this track is up to, and suddenly it’s over. Then a New Orleans kind of rhythm starts the next track, “I Am No Captain.” When the other musicians come in, the tune moves far from any relation to that city, and creates its own strange landscape. I love the way the instruments all work together here, having reached some agreement, then begin having their own things to add. I particularly like the guitar on this track. And check out Hoppy Hopkins’ work on drums toward the end. Then there is something a bit funky about “Physical Evidence,” and you get the feeling it wants to break out into more chaotic territory, but is restrained in some way. The CD then concludes with “Refolding And Creasing The Paper Bag,” which sports my favorite title of the album. This track has a loose, fun, optimistic vibe that I like.

CD Track List

1. Her Most Recent Missive
2. Como Altar Kuchu
3. The Sighting
4. Mrs. Bianchi
5. Camp Ephilus
6. I Am No Captain
7. Physical Evidence
8. Refolding And Creasing The Paper Bag

The Sighting was released on December 3, 2016.

Paul Kelly at The Federal Bar, 10-22-17 Concert Review

Paul Kelly performing "Life Is Fine"

What better way is there to spend a Sunday morning and early afternoon than drinking and listening to some excellent music? Gary Calamar hosts the Mimosa Music Series at The Federal Bar in North Hollywood, and today Paul Kelly performed there. I am always excited to see him, and today’s show was with a full band, reminding some people of those earlier days with The Messengers. This was a rockin’, energetic set, focusing mainly on his new album, Life Is Fine, which was released in August. 

The music began at 11:42 a.m., with Great Willow opening the show. They did a good set, playing some songs from their recently released album Find Yourself In Los Angeles, including “Many Things” and “Petaluma,” the latter with a fun pop vibe. Of course, it didn’t hurt that the band features cello, an instrument I love. While the band fits into the general country music realm, their songs also have a bit of folk, a bit of pop. “Last Boyfriend” has a Buddy Holly feel, particularly at the start. They ended their 34-minute set with “Earthquake Weather.”

Paul Kelly took the stage at 12:31 p.m., launching straight into “Rising Moon,” the opening track from Life Is Fine. Paul had a five-piece band backing him, including vocalists Vika Bull and Linda Bull. Without a pause, the band followed “Rising Moon” with “Finally Something Good,” which happens to be the second track on that album. “Something good this way comes,” Paul sings. Indeed. This music makes me feel so damn good. (That line, by the way, is a play on a line from Macbeth.) Paul Kelly played the first four tracks of the new album in order, following “Finally Something Good” with “Firewood And Candles” (featuring cool work on keys) and “My Man’s Got A Cold,” with Vika Bull on lead vocals. “My Man’s Got A Cold” is one of my personal favorites from Life Is Fine, and it was also one of the highlights of the set. It’s an incredibly cool tune, and Vika owns it. Linda Bull added some interesting percussion. She had a plastic bucket of hand percussion instruments, and at certain points she would drop the bucket on the stage to create a sort of jangly thud. I’m pretty sure that was the first time I’d seen someone do that in concert (though my memory is not always to be trusted).

There wasn’t much stage banter between songs, but Paul did introduce “Josephina”: “This is the story of Josephina and the ne’er-do-well who loves her.” “Josephina” is so catchy, and Vika and Linda added some hand claps. Linda Bull got a chance to sing lead on “Don’t Explain,” and then Paul switched to the keyboard for “I Smell Trouble,” while both Vika and Linda took a break. “I Smell Trouble” was kind of an intense jam. Paul performed “Life Is Fine” solo, the only song of the set he played without the band, and the last of the songs from the new album. He played nine of the CD’s twelve tracks.

He followed “Life Is Fine” with a couple of songs that were included on The Merri Soul Sessions  – “Righteous Woman” and “Sweet Guy,” Vika Bull singing lead on the latter. The set then ended with “Look So Fine, Feel So Low.” The encore was a couple of Paul Kelly classics – “Stories Of Me” and “Before Too Long.” The show ended at 1:25 p.m.

Set List

1. Rising Moon >
2. Finally Something Good
3. Firewood And Candles
4. My Man’s Got A Cold
5. Josephina
6. Letter In The Rain
7. Don’t Explain
8. I Smell Trouble
9. Life Is Fine
10. Righteous Woman
11. Sweet Guy
12. Look So Fine, Feel So Low

Encore

1. Stories Of Me
2. Before Too Long

If you missed this show and you live in or near Los Angeles, you still have a chance to see Paul Kelly today, for he’s playing at The Roxy tonight. I highly recommend checking him out.

Here are a few photos from the show:

beginning "Rising Moon"

"Finally Something Good"

 

"Firewood And Candles"

"My Man's Got A Cold"

"Letter In The Rain"

"Letter In The Rain"

"I Smell Trouble"

"I Smell Trouble"

"Life Is Fine"

The Federal Bar is located at 5303 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood, California.

Now More Than Ever: The History Of Chicago DVD Review

Chicago was one of the first bands I ever saw in concert. I was twelve years old. The band was touring to support 17, which was a huge record at the time, and – as far as I know – remains the group’s best-selling album. It was after that album and tour that Peter Cetera left the group to pursue a solo career. The band’s next album, 18, wasn’t as good, though it did have a few hits, including a reworked version of “25 Or 6 To 4,” and after that I lost track of the band’s progress, though I never lost my passion for their early material. So, I was excited to learn more about the band through Now More Than Ever: The History Of Chicago, a documentary film telling the story of the band from its inception to the present. The film’s title comes from the final section of “Ballet For A Girl In Buchannon,” from the band’s second album.

The film begins with an excited concert crowd moments before the band takes the stage. But before we hear a note, the documentary takes us back to the beginning. The film is divided into chapters, each marked by a Roman numeral, much like the band’s albums, and goes in chronological order, each year appearing briefly on screen to keep us aware of just when each event happened. The band members themselves, through a series of recent interviews, tell their story. Not everyone from the band’s history, however, is interviewed. Of the band’s original lineup, there are interviews with Robert Lamm, Lee Loughnane, Walt Parazaider, Danny Seraphine and Jimmy Pankow. Conspicuously absent from the movie is Peter Cetera, who declined to be interviewed. The film is actually produced by the band, so perhaps that has something to do with it. It’s a shame, whatever the reason, because obviously Peter played a huge role in the band’s history and success.

It’s interesting that – like many bands – Chicago began as a cover band. Lee Loughnane mentions that the band got fired once for playing an original song. And actor Joe Mantegna tells an anecdote about his band being asked to play because Chicago Transit Authority was going to be fired. Jimmy Pankow provides this colorful description of the band’s early days: “Our first gig was at the club GiGi, an upholstered sewer on the south side of Chicago. The only people in the audience were my parents.” Of course, the band would soon find success, after moving to Los Angeles. There are plenty of interesting anecdotes from this time, like how they all lived in one house, and about the band touring with Big Brother And The Holding Company. Walt Parazaider tells the story of meeting Jimi Hendrix, and the way Hendrix complimented the band: “The horns are like one set of lungs, and your guitar player is better than me.” One thing that is not mentioned, oddly, is the band’s name changing from Chicago Transit Authority to simply Chicago (actually, they don’t really talk much about the name at all, how they came to be called Chicago Transit Authority in the first place).

They do talk about their success, about certain songs such as “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is” (which apparently was the first thing they ever recorded together), “Ballet For A Girl In Buchannon” (which is one of the chapter titles for the film) and “25 Or 6 To 4,” including that song title’s meaning. It “indicates the time in the morning, twenty-five minutes to 4 a.m.” And though Peter Cetera did not take part in the making of this documentary, he is of course discussed. It’s interesting that when he began writing songs like “If You Leave Me Now,” not everyone in the band appreciated it, and Terry Kath did not want to do ballads, but rather wanted to continue doing more jazzy material. Nor did everyone in the band appreciate Peter Cetera becoming the face of the band during those days when music videos became so popular. By the way, David Foster, who co-wrote material with Peter Cetera, is also interviewed, and he comes across as rather full of himself, pointing out his Grammy trophies. At least he admits, “I think I gave them a lot of success, but I think I softened their sound past the point of where I should have.”

The anecdotes about their chartered plane being flown by military pilots are pretty wild, and all the material about Caribou Ranch is particularly fascinating. It was a recording studio that was far enough away from any town that the authorities did not interfere at all, and so things got pretty crazy there. And of course the film does get into the changes in the band’s lineup, and includes interviews with more recent members like Chris Pinnick (who replaced Donnie Dacus who replaced Terry Kath after Terry’s death), Jason Scheff, and Tris Imboden. There are also some snippets of old interviews with band members, as well as some good footage of the band performing. But the film really rushes through the nineties and more recent years, just basically mentioning album releases and further additions to the band. I would have liked more information about this time period. It does, however, spend a bit of time on the band’s long-overdue induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. The film feels like a celebration of the band, which might not be surprising considering it was produced by the band. But this is a band that deserves a celebration, and the film has an optimistic and positive tone which I appreciate.

Now More Than Ever: The History Of Chicago was directed by Peter Pardini, and was released on DVD on October 13, 2017 through MVD Visual. The DVD contains no special features.

Beth Whitney: “The Wild Unrest” (2017) CD Review

Certain albums seem to come at the exact point when we are in need of them. So it is with Beth Whitney’s new release, The Wild Unrest. Feeling a bit lost and lonely (as I suppose we all do at times these days), I put this disc on, and Beth’s voice joined me in the darkness, the perfect company to lift my spirits. You might be familiar with Beth Whitney through her work with The Banner Days, the band she has with Bradford Loomis, or through her earlier solo releases, but for me this album served as an introduction to her talent. Joining Beth Whitney on The Wild Unrest are Aaron Fishburn on upright bass and percussion, Natalie Mai Hall on cello, Jonathan Berry on violin and backing vocals, and Brandon Bee on – well – a whole lot of different instruments including mountain dulcimer, guitar, banjo and piano. Brandon Bee also produced the album. On backing vocals are Ellen Whitney, Carina Lewis, Sarah Gerritsen and Kate Lynne Logan. All tracks on this CD were written by Beth Whitney (though one is based on a poem by Linda Pastan).

The Wild Unrest opens with “Raven,” a song that kind of sneaks up on you. It begins somewhat quietly, and before you know it, you’re pulled in by the beauty of the vocals, by the subtle but effective percussion, by the strings. It becomes a rather gorgeous song, and it provides the album with its title in the lines, “See her body flying over/With a song of wild unrest.” It’s followed by “Shadows Of A Man,” which has something of a haunting tone. “The war has not been won, he said/The dying’s just begun.” This one builds in power at moments, with both the percussion and the strings gripping us.

Then “Tumwater” has a beautiful folk sound. This is exactly the kind of song that first drew me to folk music when I was in my teens in the late 1980s. Its tone, the sound of her voice, the way she delivers the lyrics all work on me the way the music did then, when everything was fresh and I was eager to learn from each song I encountered. Wonderful that music can still affect me that way. “I thought that I’d do better than this/I thought that I’d be better than this.” And the strings are perfect. “Tumwater” is one of my favorite tracks, and it’s followed by another favorite, “Tides Are For Sirens,” which starts with a gentle, comforting sound, something we need right about now. “Which heartbeat is yours and which one is mine/Am I the water, the mist or the sky/Your sorrow’s heavy here mingled with mine/And it’s lighter that way.” And suddenly there is a playful, sweet, joyful vocal section that builds and had me nearly in tears. I love how a song can move us like that. Beth returns to that section at the end of the song. I am completely in love with this song, one of my favorites of the year. “So tell me your story, and I’ll tell you mine/It’s lighter that way.” If you’re feeling lonely in the night, let Beth reach out to you through this music. The next song, “Morning Star,” also has a friendly, comforting feel. “Don’t fall, don’t fall, please don’t fall,” she sings, but it feels like this song itself is capable of catching us and lifting us. (Apparently, this song was originally titled “Don’t Fall.”)

While Beth Whitney doesn’t belt out her lyrics, there is a definite strength behind her voice, and that strength comes through in her being open to pain as well as joy. “Days Of Nights” is a moving and engaging song, told by the haunted voice of a woman who has endured much, but has by the end perhaps come through. “He said don’t fight it/He said it’s too late/He said I’m just like the others/As he gave me away/To that red light/Where my days are made of nights/And he said won’t nobody love you like this.” The CD then concludes with “Fireflies,” which is Linda Pastan’s poem set to music, with certain lines repeated. This song is beautiful and uplifting, leaving us in a good place.

CD Track List

1. Raven
2. Shadows Of A Man
3. Tumwater
4. Tides Are For Sirens
5. Morning Star
6. Days Of Nights
7. Fireflies 

The Wild Unrest is scheduled to be released on November 11, 2017.