21 January 2015
Album review – Walking Into White (English translation follows French original). “Un album brillant ouvrant de nouvelles perspectives pour Sarah McQuaid.” (A brilliant album that opens new perspectives for Sarah McQuaid.)
http://concertmonkey.be/reports/sarah-mcquaid-walking-white
SARAH McQUAID: Walking Into White
(English translation appears below French original.)
La sortie du quatrième album de Sarah McQuaid, “Walking Into White”, est prévue pour le 2 février au UK and Europe, plus tard aux States. Sarah a quitté les Cornouailles anglaises pour enregistrer le disque à, il n’y a pas de hasard, Cornwall, état de New York, où sévissent les producers Jeremy Backofen et Adam Pierce. L’album a été enregistré en trois semaines.
‘Low Winter Sun’ ouvre, avec Sarah à l’acoustique et aux vocals et son cousin Adam Pierce au Fender. La plage, pimentée d’éléments psychédéliques, la reverb sur la voix, notamment, s’éloigne légèrement du folk traditionnel. Elle peut séduire les folk freaks de tous poils, ceux qui vénèrent Nick Drake ou Richard Thompson, tout comme les fervents d’indie pop.
‘Where The Wind Decides To Blow’: Sarah (ac. - vc.), Adam Pierce (bass, drums, Fender) et Kivie Cahn-Lipman (cello). Un upbeat psychedelic folk-pop inspiré par ‘Swallows and Amazons’, une série de romans d’aventure pour enfants d’Arthur Ransome (1884–1967). C’est marrant de retrouver l’esprit acide de l’époque Woodstock dans le rendu, un retour au flower power movement en somme.
‘The Tide’: Sarah (ac. - vc.), Adam Pierce + Rob King au piano et Adele Schulz aux harmonies. Comme la précédente, inspirée des ‘Swallows and Amazons’, et toujours les rapprochements avec des groupes tels que The Byrds ou Kaleidoscope (featuring David Lindley). Sarah utilise une métaphore comparant les marées et la vie elle-même.
‘I Am Grateful For What I Have’: Sarah - Kivie Cahn-Lipman et Dan Lippel (guitare sèche). Un instrumental empreint de classicisme que ne renierait pas Steve Hackett.
‘Sweetness And Pain part 1’: Une plage concise, chantée a capella, nous prouve une nouvelle fois que Sarah dispose d’une voix la classant aux côtés des plus grandes: June Tabor ou Maddy Prior.
Le titletrack, ’Walking Into White’: Sarah et Gareth Flowers (Trumpet). Un dernier titre, mélancolique, inspiré par l’oeuvre d’ Arthur Ransome. Superbe trompette en arrière-plan, picking délicat et voix diaphane. Un highlight!
‘Jackdaws Rising’: Crédité Sarah McQuaid- Pete Coleman- Clare Hines. ‘Jackdaws Rising’ est en fait une adaptation, pourvue d’un texte, de l’instrumental ‘13 Moons’ de Brocc dont font partie Coleman et Hines. Le canon est interprété par Sarah, Adele Schulz et Martin Stansbury, handclaps and footstomps added by Adam Pierce et Jeremy Backofen. Un morceau polyrythmique, original, acrobatique et audacieux.
‘Yellowstone’: Sarah, Dan Lippel ( guitare classique) et Adam Pierce (cajon). Un titre lumineux composé pour son fils Eli, avec mise en exergue du magnifique travail Paco De Lucia de Dan Lippel.
‘The Silver Lining’: Sarah - Jeremy Backofen (bass) - Adam Pierce (drums) - Gareth Flowers (trumpet). Sorti en single il y a quelques mois, ce folk pop nerveux, dans la lignée de certains Sheryl Crow, Janis Ian, Carly Simon ou Carole King, brille par sa ferveur optimiste.
‘Sweetness And Pain part II’: Un nouvel interlude a capella.
‘Leave It For Another Day’: crédité Sarah McQuaid et Gerry O’Beirne. Sarah (ac. - vc.), Adam Pierce (Fender). Retour au ton psychédélique pour cette composition en duo. Gerry O’Beirne, brillant folk singer irlandais, avait produit les albums précédents de Sarah.
‘Sweetness And Pain part III’: Suite et fin de la trilogie poétique.
‘Canticle Of The Sun’ (All Creatures Of Our God And King). Le ‘Laudes Creaturarum’ de Saint François d’Assise dans la version paraphrasée par William Henry Draper. Sarah + Martin Stansbury (organ) et Adam Pierce (organ, vibraphone). Sarah aime s’attaquer à des thèmes ancestraux, sur l’album précédent elle avait écrit ‘In Derby Cathedral’ en pensant à la Comtesse de Shrewsbury inhumée dans la Cathédrale de Derby.
‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’: signé: Ewan McColl. Une version intimiste du chef-d’oeuvre popularisé par Roberta Flack. “I think it’s one of the most perfect love songs ever written” nous confie Sarah.
Un album brillant ouvrant de nouvelles perspectives pour Sarah McQuaid.
Début du UK tour le 19 février. Puis les Pays-Bas et le 20 mars Het Stadsmagazijn, Antwerpen!
The release of Sarah McQuaid’s fourth album. “Walking Into White”, is scheduled for the 2nd of February in the UK and Europe, later in the States. Sarah left the English Cornwall to record the album in, not entirely by accident, Cornwall, New York, where producers Jeremy Backofen and Adam Pierce work. The album was recorded in three weeks.
“Low Winter Sun” opens, with Sarah on the acoustic guitar and her cousin Adam Pierce on Fender. This track, peppered with psychedelic elements -- notably reverb on the voice -- gently distances itself from traditional folk. It will appeal to folk freaks of all kinds, those who worship Nick Drake or Richard Thompson, just as much as to devotees of indie pop.
“Where The Wind Decides To Blow”: Sarah (acoustic guitar, vocals), Adam Pierce (bass, drums, Fender) and Kivie Cahn-Lipman (cello). An upbeat psychedelic folk-pop song inspired by “Swallows and Amazons”, a series of children’s adventure novels by Arthur Ransome (1884-1967). It’s amusing to find the acid spirit of the Woodstock era in the record -- in essence a return to the flower power movement.
“The Tide”: Sarah (acoustic guitar, vocals), Rob King on the piano and Adele Schulz on harmonies. Like the preceding number, inspired by “Swallows and Amazons”, and still inviting comparisons with bands like The Byrds and Kaleidoscope (featuring David Lindley). Sarah uses a metaphor comparing tides with life itself.
“I Am Grateful For What I Have”: Sarah, Kivie Cahn-Lipman and Dan Lippel (classical guitar). An instrumental full of classicism that Steve Hackett wouldn’t disown.
“Sweetness And Pain I”: A concise track, sung a capella, proves to us once again that Sarah possesses a voice in the same class as the greatest: June Tabor or Maddy Prior.
The title track, “Walking Into White”: Sarah and Gareth Flowers (trumpet). One last number, this one melancholic, inspired by the work of Arthur Ransome. Superb trumpet in the background, delicate guitar picking and a diaphanous voice. A highlight!
“Jackdaws Rising”. Credited to Sarah McQuaid, Pete Coleman and Clare Hines. “Jackdaws Rising” is actually an adaptation, provided with lyrics, of the instrumental “13 Moons” by Brocc, of which Coleman and Hines are members. The canon is performed by Sarah, Adele Schulz and Martin Stansbury, with handclaps and footstomps added by Adam Pierce and Jeremy Backofen. A polyrhythmic piece that’s original, acrobatic and audacious.
“Yellowstone”: Sarah, Dan Lippel (classical guitar) and Adam Pierce (cajon). A luminous number composed for her son Eli, featuring Dan Lippel’s magnificent Paco De Lucia impression.
“The Silver Lining”: Sarah, Jeremy Backofen (bass), Adam Pierce ( drums), Gareth Flowers (trumpet). Released as a single a few months ago, this nervy folk pop number, in the style of Sheryl Crow, Janis Ian, Carly Simon or Carole King, shines with its optimistic fervour.
“Sweetness And Pain II”: Another a cappella interlude.
“Leave It For Another Day”: Credited to Sarah McQuaid and Gerry O’Beirne. Sarah (acoustic guitar, vocals), Adam Pierce (Fender). It’s back to the psychedelic tone for this collaborative composition. Gerry O’Beirne, a brillant Irish folk singer, had produced Sarah’s preceding albums.
“Sweetness And Pain III”. Continuation and conclusion of this poetic trilogy.
“Canticle Of The Sun (All Creatures Of Our God And King)”: The “Laudes Creaturarum” of Saint Francis of Assisi, in the version paraphrased by William Henry Draper. Sarah, Martin Stansbury (air organ) and Adam Pierce (air organ, vibraphone). Sarah likes to tackle ancestral themes; on her previous album she wrote “In Derby Cathedral” while thinking of the Countess of Shrewsbury buried in Derby Cathedral.
“The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”: Written by Ewan MacColl. An intimate version of the masterpiece popularised by Roberta Flack. “I think it’s one of the most perfect love songs ever written,” Sarah confides.
A brilliant album that opens new perspectives for Sarah McQuaid.
UK tour starting 19 February. Then the Low Countries and on the 20th of March Het Stadsmagazijn, Antwerp!