Customer Reviews

Hush

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Yes, I've admittedly been fascinated with the quirkily, endearingly contagiousness of Jane Siberry's music since my first listen. As with her previous work, this CD is to the ears what fairground funnel cake is to the nose--arresting, sweet, and immediately provacative. But, with Jane, that's just the beginning: as you process the familiar words of these childhood songs with all her too strange harmonies and fun house mirror time warps, she sets off the nerve endings, successfully changing physical waves into emotional excitation. The resulting little shivers of "touch" are the hallmark of only a few musicians and artists. Best of all, hers is an insidiously insider-only message delivered to those whose receptors are tuned to all things left of center. Jane's let you share her secret flipbook scene of the angel's halo tilting ever more wonderfully askew.

I differ with the Amazon review of this CD. The emotional level Jane Siberry reveals in Hush comes forth delicately and colorfully as each rendition of the traditional music in Hush is embraced with a sweet reminiscence of hearing and learning these songs in childhood. Her lack of commercialism is to be applauded: just straightforward beautiful music. Hush opened the door for Jane's latest effort, SHUSHAN the Palace, and proves that beautiful music is as everlasting and genuine as those artists who attempt to carry on the tradition of setting the emotion of words and music into song and verse. This highly personalized collection of the songs is a welcome relief for the ears and the soul. The calmness and warmth of this collection left me wanting to hear more. I seriously doubt if any of the corporate labels would have released this CD, which is their loss, and would have been ours have it not been for SHEEBA RECORDS (check out www.sheeba.ca - recordings by Jane Siberry that are listed as "out of print on Amazon, are available there).

I like Jane Siberry and I love some of her music. "Hush," though, is an indulgent mess. There are one or two pieces that I like, but they're not enough to justify purchasing the CD. Because, sadly, at least 50% of the cuts are so unbearable I can hardly sit through them. To be precise, they're INTERMINABLE. I have tried to appreciate them, but all I can do is yell at the CD player, "End already!"

The repetition, the layered vocals, the largely absent music...I appreciate minimalism and modernism but this is ridiculous. There is a point where the producer has to step in and say, "Whoa." That didn't happen here.

This CD is quite unusual. Old hymns and American classics are sung by Jane Siberry in the most unusual way. All are sung slowly, and with tons of harmony (albeit UNUSUAL harmonies) by, I believe, Jane herself. If you're thinking Sweet Adelaides, dont. This is a modern, unusual interpretation of American classics. The entire CD has a lullaby feel, and that's why I really only listen to it at bedtime. But that's also when I can focus and appreciate the unusual harmonies the best.

I listen to the track "All through the night" almost every night before I go to bed. There is something so soothing about it, and about all the tracks on this cd. Just listening to it makes the cares slip right off your shoulders. Meditation music, stress reliever, whatever you call it, this is it.

There's no getting around it: Jane Siberry is an artist unto herself. "Hush" is the kind of left field release that leaves admirers like me agog at her daring. After challenging "new age" music paradigms with "When I Was A Boy", then subsequently delivering jazz and then juvenilia albums, she releases an album of reinvigorated spirituals. Granted, her multi-tracked voice and minimal accompaniment lends the songs a certain sameness, but it lends the work cohesion and she's smart enough to arrange and deliver them in sublimely good taste. Although I can't say it's my favourite release of hers, I'm sure it will remain a cherished work I'll return to again and again.

The first time I listened to this I absolutely loved it. The second time, I noticed that Jane was having some pitch problems on several of the songs--most noticably on "False False Fly", but also on several of the other songs. Jane has a style of singing where she sometimes slurs into the center value of a note from slightly above or below--it works well on many of her own compositions, but I don't think it works well here.

However, this is the sole flaw on this otherwise perfect disc, and I haven't read any other review anywhere that mentioned it (I suspect that my ears are more irritated by minor pitch errors than most people's). My final recommendation is that if you sometimes are annoyed by vocalists singing off pitch, then you need to avoid this CD--otherwise, if you're looking for a new and creative take on some old classic songs, then you are going to love it.

I'm always amazed by how differently the same piece of music strikes different people. I couldn't disagree more with the editorial review -- "Hush" is about as heartfelt as it gets. Sadness, joy, loss, pain, wonder, it's all here in ample amounts. And Siberry's vocals (yes, they are all hers) are simply gorgeous. If you liked the layered arrangement of the "Love is Everything" reprise on her brilliant "When I Was A Boy" CD, you'll love what she's done here.

In my humble opinion, Siberry's rendition of "The Water is Wide" is worth the price of this CD alone; it might well be the most beautiful song I've ever heard, and it's definitely the highlight of "Hush." Like the album itself, it meanders and builds, receeds and then blooms into something wonderful when least expected. Thank you, Jane!

Ol' Man River?????

Siberry is a great artist and these are very nice, mostly traditional songs. But, the two do not mix very well.

This mismatch is highlighted by Siberry singing Ol' Man River from the musical Showboat: "Here we all work while the white folks play".
She sings it in a nice, sweet way, with her unique ethereal vocal style. There is no emotion and absolutely no sense of struggle. It would be like Barry White singing "I Am Woman".

The rest of the songs on this CD, many emotional and powerful, are given the same emotionless lulaby treatment.

OK, I'll admit I would have preferred a bunch of new songs written by Jane Siberry, but "Hush" is certainly an acceptable substitute. The ten tunes she picked for the album are an interesting selection, from traditionals to hymns to campfire songs. The arrangements are delicate yet evocative, creating much of the effect with just Jane's own piano and layered vocals (often in choir-like multi-part harmony). Her musical personality - inquisitive, generous, and a little eccentric - still shows through even with these familiar songs. I'm somewhat amazed at how she takes an oft-recorded and performed number like "The Water Is Wide" and makes it sound fresh with a unique vocal arrangement and a lone oboe (played by Jennifer Weeks, one of only two guest musicians). Even without Jane's liner notes describing the meaning each of these songs has for her, it would be obvious this is a very personal project, and we're fortunate she's shared it with us.