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kyburgI got this album when I was down sick with the Expensive Mystery Poo Disease middle of the summer - matter of fact, I ended up using it almost entirely to keep myself from passing out behind the wheel on the trips I made up and down the 405 to see the Amazing Poo Doctor of Beverly Hills, nearly every day for a week, when I was at my sickest.
The Album?![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
cadhla's Stars Fall Home.
Probably the first thing I should tell you is that I ordered three more copies as soon it was possible to do so.
The second thing I should tell you is this is the only way I've ever heard Seannan sing. I bought the first album, the one-time live performance from OVFF, Pretty Little Dead Girl because, well, too many people on my FL who had actually been there were about frothing at the mouth over the performance.
The disc did not disappoint - except to whet the appetite for what might come out of the same material, if it could be done in a studio, controlled under those circumstances and given the loving care a talented producer could give it.
Heh.
When I imported the new disc into iTunes, it showed up as "Folk." Well, it's filk - and about things I'm not immediately familiar with and in some case, not interested in at all. No matter.
It's a very mixed bag of style, instruments, arrangements - with an intricate lyrical style. She includes the lyrics in the liner notes. You won't need them. You can read them, of course, when you're aren't listening to the CD - but you won't be guessing at what's being sung. She's just that good at getting the words threaded through the notes - she knows the words matter.
One of the best parts of the album? How well the last track leads into the first one. No kidding. This album can loop forever. Track #15 leads into Track #1 flawlessly - and you feel like you're listening to it again for the first time without noticing that - oh - you're not.
There's the review. Now - onto the critique.
Track by track.
1. "Follow Me Down" - largely acoustic, using some of my favorite instruments (strongly drum-led). Lovely lead in to the album. Spare, lean and vocal-driven.
2. "Paper Moon" - perhaps it's my strong preference for keyboards, but I think both some keyboard and string bass might have made this even stronger than it was. Then again, I love the arrangement as it is. That's kind of a common thread. Wow, this is wonderful. Hmm. But I don't hear the instruments I'm used to. What the heck! It's a keeper.
3. "This Is My Town" - this is one of the tracks I was hoping to hear on the studio album from the live performance. It's everything I could ask for. Clean, clear and endearing.
4. "Dorothy" - a song about a take on a classic story I'd never heard about. And a nice turn -
5. "River Lies" - one of the most intricate arrangements on the album, for one of the most demanding pieces. I love well played harp, and this does not disappoint - however (and this is a common thread as well), the male voice is not as strong as Seannan's. Stronger in a different fashion, perhaps - but as a mate to her own? Since I can't suggest a better option, I have to leave that there - but when I found myself turning up the volume to hear him, dead giveaway.
6. "Four Color Love" - pure filk, and why not. Love the treatment.
7. "In This Sea" - a song that's also a story, one of my favorite kind. Light, pretty and loving.
8. "Sycamore Tree" - a favorite. Matter of fact, I'm telling folks who receive copies of this album to jump straight to this track first - because it's one of the most interesting examples of modern madrigal singing I've heard since I left high school (and my choir director LOVED madrigals). Seannan loves patterned poetry - she will write to any format from iambic pentameter to limericks and does it flawlessly - just for fun. Here's what happens when you put it to music - really really NICE music, with an arrangement that just blows it out of the water. The acoustic guitar is like riding a bicycle in the fall wind.
But. I once knew a female tenor - I can't help but wonder what that would sound like, taking Tony out of the mix (and that would be like shooting puppies, because these three perform this piece together all the time and it shows. They're tight). Other than that - this is one of the songs I'm really happy to have in this version.
9. "Take Advantage Of Me" - love the tune. Love the lyrics. Kind of wants me to send it tohaikujaguar or hbruton for a treatment...so much for "furries" being something one leaves on the shelf.
10. "Country Song" - again, pure filk and why not. It's wry, clever and black as hell. I love it - and I never saw the movie.
11. "Downhome Aphrodite" - when you're feeling introspective. *checks* Yup, keyboards. You don't have to do a thing after that for me.
12. "Evil Laugh" - I IM'dcatsonmars and told him I had a CD with a song that had "HA HA MUNCH MUNCH DIE" as its chorus and busted him up. I have a sincerely dark sense of humor and this little ditty (with solid musical support) just makes my day. It's all that and a side of fries.
13. "Earthquake Weather" - I'll admit it now. I skip this one often to get to the next track on the album. I need to stop doing this.
14. "Still Catch The Tide" - another one of the favorites. I love selkies and merfolk, always have. And the tune doesn't disappoint.
15. "Pretty Little Dead Girl" - THIS is what made waiting for this album worth it. It's a story, it's a dance, it's the next musical sensation to sweep the nation...just plain fun from start to finish. This is filk - sure. But one wonders what would happen if we added a few more instruments (without losing that wonderful acoustic guitar) and full do-wop background group into the arrangement. I'd likely see the top of Seannan's head explode trying to balance it out - but I think the song has the room to do it.
In short - lots of good, lots of very good - and plenty of room for more good in the future.
*whew*
The Album?
cadhla's Stars Fall Home.Probably the first thing I should tell you is that I ordered three more copies as soon it was possible to do so.
The second thing I should tell you is this is the only way I've ever heard Seannan sing. I bought the first album, the one-time live performance from OVFF, Pretty Little Dead Girl because, well, too many people on my FL who had actually been there were about frothing at the mouth over the performance.
The disc did not disappoint - except to whet the appetite for what might come out of the same material, if it could be done in a studio, controlled under those circumstances and given the loving care a talented producer could give it.
Heh.
When I imported the new disc into iTunes, it showed up as "Folk." Well, it's filk - and about things I'm not immediately familiar with and in some case, not interested in at all. No matter.
It's a very mixed bag of style, instruments, arrangements - with an intricate lyrical style. She includes the lyrics in the liner notes. You won't need them. You can read them, of course, when you're aren't listening to the CD - but you won't be guessing at what's being sung. She's just that good at getting the words threaded through the notes - she knows the words matter.
One of the best parts of the album? How well the last track leads into the first one. No kidding. This album can loop forever. Track #15 leads into Track #1 flawlessly - and you feel like you're listening to it again for the first time without noticing that - oh - you're not.
There's the review. Now - onto the critique.
Track by track.
1. "Follow Me Down" - largely acoustic, using some of my favorite instruments (strongly drum-led). Lovely lead in to the album. Spare, lean and vocal-driven.
2. "Paper Moon" - perhaps it's my strong preference for keyboards, but I think both some keyboard and string bass might have made this even stronger than it was. Then again, I love the arrangement as it is. That's kind of a common thread. Wow, this is wonderful. Hmm. But I don't hear the instruments I'm used to. What the heck! It's a keeper.
3. "This Is My Town" - this is one of the tracks I was hoping to hear on the studio album from the live performance. It's everything I could ask for. Clean, clear and endearing.
4. "Dorothy" - a song about a take on a classic story I'd never heard about. And a nice turn -
5. "River Lies" - one of the most intricate arrangements on the album, for one of the most demanding pieces. I love well played harp, and this does not disappoint - however (and this is a common thread as well), the male voice is not as strong as Seannan's. Stronger in a different fashion, perhaps - but as a mate to her own? Since I can't suggest a better option, I have to leave that there - but when I found myself turning up the volume to hear him, dead giveaway.
6. "Four Color Love" - pure filk, and why not. Love the treatment.
7. "In This Sea" - a song that's also a story, one of my favorite kind. Light, pretty and loving.
8. "Sycamore Tree" - a favorite. Matter of fact, I'm telling folks who receive copies of this album to jump straight to this track first - because it's one of the most interesting examples of modern madrigal singing I've heard since I left high school (and my choir director LOVED madrigals). Seannan loves patterned poetry - she will write to any format from iambic pentameter to limericks and does it flawlessly - just for fun. Here's what happens when you put it to music - really really NICE music, with an arrangement that just blows it out of the water. The acoustic guitar is like riding a bicycle in the fall wind.
But. I once knew a female tenor - I can't help but wonder what that would sound like, taking Tony out of the mix (and that would be like shooting puppies, because these three perform this piece together all the time and it shows. They're tight). Other than that - this is one of the songs I'm really happy to have in this version.
9. "Take Advantage Of Me" - love the tune. Love the lyrics. Kind of wants me to send it to
haikujaguar or hbruton for a treatment...so much for "furries" being something one leaves on the shelf.10. "Country Song" - again, pure filk and why not. It's wry, clever and black as hell. I love it - and I never saw the movie.
11. "Downhome Aphrodite" - when you're feeling introspective. *checks* Yup, keyboards. You don't have to do a thing after that for me.
12. "Evil Laugh" - I IM'd
catsonmars and told him I had a CD with a song that had "HA HA MUNCH MUNCH DIE" as its chorus and busted him up. I have a sincerely dark sense of humor and this little ditty (with solid musical support) just makes my day. It's all that and a side of fries.13. "Earthquake Weather" - I'll admit it now. I skip this one often to get to the next track on the album. I need to stop doing this.
14. "Still Catch The Tide" - another one of the favorites. I love selkies and merfolk, always have. And the tune doesn't disappoint.
15. "Pretty Little Dead Girl" - THIS is what made waiting for this album worth it. It's a story, it's a dance, it's the next musical sensation to sweep the nation...just plain fun from start to finish. This is filk - sure. But one wonders what would happen if we added a few more instruments (without losing that wonderful acoustic guitar) and full do-wop background group into the arrangement. I'd likely see the top of Seannan's head explode trying to balance it out - but I think the song has the room to do it.
In short - lots of good, lots of very good - and plenty of room for more good in the future.
*whew*
