Sister Speak : Love as an anthem

In the rise of violence from many places in the world last week, a bit of peace, and amongst everything, love, is the thing I do think we need the most. Such simplicity in emotions and truth coming from the inside of ourselves is the material Folk, Americana and Country artists use to mold their worlds and, by doing so, reshape our by the way we feel it.

This time I’d introduce you to a young band from San Diego called Sister Speak. Lead by the Canadian singer and songwriter Sherri Anne, this quintet provides us a lovely Americana in its debut-album : Rise Up For Love. An anthem we would gladly follow with this work as an argument.

As you might expect, the compositions are made of guitars, both acoustic and electric, but not only. I should mention the beautiful rhythmic work by Lisa Viegas that embossed every part of the ten tracks subtly changing the feeling and power of the stories. Like an heartbeat full of passion or an errant soul drown in sorrow it seems to be the real core of the composition. On an other hand, interesting instruments are beautifully used to carve the sound in something quite haunting. Then, keyboards and organs are the key of the ghostly spirit of “Mirrors I”. Likewise, special percussion as cajon can hold our hand to lead us to another, sometimes unexpected, landscape.

Sherri Anne & Lisa Viegas

But despite those technical points, Sister Speak’s music is a matter of feelings. There’s so many moments that irradiate by their beauty. A ballad such as “Say You Will” is just like falling in love. An increasing force that catches you from the the very start and let you hung up in the air, floating, dreaming. A state of mind in which every feeling, every subtle emotion is almost tangible. This screaming demand becomes an heart-to-heart connection. Like it says : “I can feel you, I can hear you”. It seems to be the simplest but the most obvious definition of love.

This album is very well-titled. It’s an optimistic vision of love, that you’ll find in it. It’s a sunshine, a magnificent dawn. It's a piece of beauty rising even from sorrows and tears, a freedom song rather than a regretful drama (”Goodby My Lover”). The message is quite simple : as long as you keep on walking on the long path we call life you’ll be able to find hope. And so, yes, I do feel joyful, stronger, full of hope and passion after listening to Sister Speak.

David Vidal : A momentum of obviousness

Blues is one of the American music hearts. It is the backbone of music. Coming from African and European cultures and songsters, it is a tradition which is still alive. An to do so, we need guardians. Some folks who are able to keep the flame.

We all know big names of Blues (I assume you know at least a bit about American music if you’re reading this website), some are even Legends ! But music doesn’t belong to museums. And if there’s some Blues heroes who should be in the Hall of Fame, there’s also thousands of singers scattered in the whole world who spread this universal music with passion and talent.

Thus, there is little everyday heroes. People who continues to work on Blues to make it a living music forever. In this category, I’d like to talk about David Vidal. His Blues is an instant love, a powerful expression of obviousness. A slide guitar, or an electric cigar-box, and a voice, he needs no more to do such a miracle.

Raised in New Mexico and Colorado, he traveled a lot in the United Stated and even went to Merida in Mexico hopping on freight trains. Living on the road makes your soul bigger for sure. He learned guitar by himself as a teenager with a book of Blues standards and I do think it shows a lot about his spirit and how in anchored music in his soul.

With four critically acclaimed albums, I am obviously not the only to consider his work a masterpiece. It is like a testimony of what music is. His latest record, World of Trouble, is unfortunately so true about our world.

He talks about politics (”Political Man”) and the world complexity (”A Big Electric Universe”) with such a precise view that he's focused on the human part of everything. It’s about the weakness of everybody, the hunger for power, selfishness, and our heart’s lack of strength that make us so fragile even we play tough (”My Own World Has Broken Down”). He still knows hope has to be set on love and human emotions that he knows how to beautifully picture (”Flying”). We build the world we live in, but sometimes in the craziness of our own paths we do need a poet to remind us this simple fact.

David Vidal’s music is unique and extremely moving. It won’t change your world. It’ll enlighten it by opening your eyes. World of Trouble is a special momentum you do need to live fully. I bet you won’t be exactly the same after that.

Benjamin Folke Thomas : Americana quintessential

Since we were talking about Sweden in the last review, let’s continue this time. Here is Benjamin Folke Thomas who’s based in London for five years by now. The perfect city to launch a music career considering it might be the European music city capital.

Even if he didn’t succeed at the first try like in his dreams (he thought he "would be famous by the time [he] was 21" like he says in the CD booklet), Benjamin’s Americana Folk-inspired music worth to be listened. The label “Bucketfull of Brains” understood this point in 2010 when they released the first EP of Folke Thomas. After touring a lot in 2012 and increasing considerably his fanbase, Benjamin released with his label his first true album : Too Close To Here.

This wonderful record has been re-released in 2014 by Bucketfull of Brains/Proper Music, a proof of its good quality. Soulful, true, deep, there is a lot of adjectives available to describe the music from this record. You can enjoy the natural and simple writing skill sung with an almost naked voice only covered by subtle raspiness on it.

It’s this kind of folkishness that change the scale of Folke Thomas’ music. Even when electric guitars and drums came in line we do keep some acoustic feelings which are still floating in the air. So, we easily loose ourselves in the music but, on the other hand, keep focused on the voice and words.

Realistic, moving by the ability to draw stories rather than just telling about it, the songs from this album find their way to our heart, almost bypassing our brains. And if there’s a music genre where feelings and words should obviously work together is Blues. Thus, when Benjamin Folke Thomas goes on this side of his music with songs like “Ok Blues” we realize how well he understood the essence of the music he plays. With simple words he talks about simple feelings we all had and by this way, turns his music into a universal language. Composition itself tells almost everything. Classic, like the one you would like to find in any bar. Sometimes it twangs just enough to start moving your hips or tapping your foot and other times it’s made of beautiful and moving arpeggios.

Americana is definitely the right word to define the music of Too Close To Here. It’s a perfect mix of Folk and Blues into a bunch of songs made to be listen anywhere, anytime. Some tunes to keep in mind and to enjoy all day long.

Deborah Henrinksson : Traces to follow

This time, with Deborah Henrinksson, we’re going to change our horizon. She is a Sweden based folk singer with a deep Celtic hint in her, sometimes popish, songs. Thus, Traces, her latest and forth record, is a special piece. Strongly ethereal and infused with Celtic / Irish spirits, Deborah opens up a foggy mysterious place.

Like fairy tales, the ground and trees seem to carry a message and we feel surrounded by magical sounds which are like spells on us. Using piano, soft acoustic guitars in harmony with celtic pipes and drums, Deborah Henriksson is the narrator of a big mystical fascinating book. She talks mainly about love but in a smart way, elusively, like if she wasn’t truly doing it. She mostly pictures it with natural elements like snow, water, stars… Almost like if she were painting, subtly adding small touches of tenderness and emotion in our landscape.

Her voice is flying among this beautiful country, evocating some mermaid, faeric tunes. It might be strongly influenced by the Irish side of the music but we can enjoy a fantasy-like atmosphere all along the record. I invite you to listen to the amazing song “Fly” that is just one example, but quite representative, of the overall spirit of this record. "Trains", by the way, is also an other interesting song, more folkish and lightier. A good choice since it's been placed on the opening of the record. The catchy melody works perfectly well as an introduction for a work which is much deeper.

Then, if you enjoy getting lost in music, diving in a dream, you should follow the traces Deborah Henriksson has set for you. It’s gonna be a trip you’ll easily be obsessed with.

The fantastic Neverland of Mackenzie Shivers

It happens sometimes. You hear a record and you dive in fantasy in a few seconds. The music is so powerful it leads you to your own dreams and let be honest, it feels great.

Mackenzie Shivers by Emily Lambert

Mackenzie Shivers, a singer-pianist-songwriter from New York City got the precious talent to do such a thing. In twelve songs from her record Neverland, she guides us in a dreamland. According to her powerful and evocative melodies, she transforms our reality into a big bed made out of a cloud where we happily lay down, close our eyes, and enjoy the moment.

The reason of this magic ? It’s actually pretty hard to tell. Maybe it’s the talent Mackenzie got to play piano, a result of a successful classical music scholarship, or maybe it’s just her wonderful, reassuring, voice. But it would be far from complete without mentioning the strong part played by the upright bass which builds a round and smooth atmosphere along with the participation of subtle and well used drums.

Mackenzie Shivers explained to PopMatters that “home” and “coping with loss” are the main themes of this record. We can feel some kind of a cocoon in her music that match perfectly with the chosen subjects and it makes those common themes quite specials in the way we feel them under the skin. Like Peter Pan’s world, this Shiver’s Neverland is a faeric place to let your mind wander.

Thus, open your ears and you’ll be welcomed in Neverland, a warm, comfortable and precious place for any heart, lonely or wounded, to cure. But if you’re not in this case, don’t be afraid and let you be embraced anyway.

Take a look at her website : http://mackenzieshivers.com/