Customer Reviews

Halcyon

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It's been four years since Gretchen's last cd. She's back with a wonderful collection of songs and in superb voice. Such irony that she records in Nashville, writes rings around most of those "composing" there and then has to release the album in the UK. No matter. She's here and deserves heaps of attention and success. A gorgeous collection of songs. Gretchen perfectly combines the personal touches of the best singer/songwriters with the savvy of a pop song writer. Relatively brief, the songs hit many poetic and emotional highs. "This Used to Be My Town" and "If Heaven" are archetypal Peters compositions filled with concrete touches and lovely metaphors. "Germantown" has so much atmosphere you can feel it surround you. Superb use of instruments throughout--especially the accordion, soprano sax, delicate piano, harmonica and a cello and mandolin among other strings.

"If heaven was a hour it would be twilight when the fireflies start their dancin' on the lawn..."

"If heaven was a town it would be my town on a summer day in 1965..."

"If heaven was a pie it would be cherry cool and sweet and heavy on your tongue..."

"If heaven was a train it'd be a fast one to take this weary traveler round the bend..."

If heaven was a song, it would be a Gretchen Peters song...

Although she's issued 5 CDs as a singer, Gretchen Peters is more known as a writer. Trisha Yearwood, Pam Tills & George Strait had hits with her songs. In 1995, Martina McBride was nominated for a Grammy for the Peters'-penned "Independence Day." In 1996, Patty Loveless was nominated for the Song of the Year Grammy with Peters' "You Don't Even Know Who I Am." "Rock Steady" that Gretchen wrote with Bryan Adams appeared on Bonnie Raitt's CD Road Tested.

As a singer, she is also captivating. "Halcyon" -- and I admit I had to look the word up in the dictionary to find it means "calmness" -- was recorded in Nashville (except for "Imogene" in Florida), but released in Britain. It's well worth tracking down this 2004 import. "The Aviator's Song" creates such a mood of peace and floating as Peters' pays homage to a pilot war hero with the gorgeous chorus, "How does it feel when you're falling? Can you hear sweet angels calling? Is it empty up in space? Did you touch God's holy face? Did you tremble? Did you cry? Did you fall or did you fly?" She follows this with another blockbuster ballad "Blessing in Disguise" with Peters' voice aching on the honey-sweet melody and Bryan Adams on harmony vocals, "It's the sweet things only time brings that arrive like a blessing in disguise." "A Cool Goodbye" is a smoky country lounge track with Jelly Roll Johnson's harmonica letting the track float into the air like ambrosia evaporating leaving a fragrance in the air. "This Used to Be My Town" describes a young girl who is violated. It's done with such exquisite taste and sadness that it touches you as if you were 13, full of hope and joy, and suddenly have been touched by an unfriendly hand. Thematically, it's heavy, but so well done. Gretchen follows with the lovely ballad, "If Heaven," which reflects back on a time long past, "If heaven was a town, it would be my town on a summer day in 1965 and everything I wanted was out there waiting & everyone I loved was still alive." Peters' power to marry a melody and a lyric and then cut to the quick with her voice displays itself on "Germantown," "I'm doing 90 toward the county line & the rain is comin' down; Said you were on to something big this time, but it's the other way around." "Museum" closes the set with a strong broken heart lyric complete with a string section and Peters' bittersweet vocals, "I am an artist; I won't crawl; I'll paint a picture of my heart & hang it on a wall; It's my sweet release; It's my masterpiece hanging on a wall in a museum." The music on "Halcyon" is mostly soft, but oh so sweet. Peters is a master songwriter and interpreter of her own work. Her latest CD Burnt Toast & Offerings is also quickly wearing a groove in my changer. Bravo!