Oh Little Fire

Sarah Harmer | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 21, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Zoe Records
• ASIN: B003IDFLJQ
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #53,690 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

2010 release from the Canadian singer/songwriter, her first new album in five years. A return to the accessible Pop-Rock sound of her acclaimed album You Were Here, but also showcasing a bit of her Folk/Country side, Oh Little Fire may be the strongest batch of songs Sarah Harmer has ever released. Co-produced by Sarah and Gavin Brown (Metric), Oh Little Fire is full of the same hooky melodies, insightful lyrics, and lovely, plaintive singing which attracted so many fans to Sarah Harmer's music. Featuring a duet with Neko Case! Rounder.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Endlessly Satisfying! June 26, 2010

By Mike Steeves

Format:Audio CD

Endlessly Satisfying is exactly what I think of Sarah Harmer's new album, Oh Little Fire.

Six years have passed since we've had a proper full-length studio album from her, and I thought the overly folksy sound that pervades I'm a Mountain (Dig) and Songs for Clem would strongly influence this follow-up, making it a little dull and marginalizing. NOPE! Oh Little Fire is a perfect blend of Rock, Pop and old-style Country in a way only Sarah Harmer seems to be able to do.

These up-tempo, rocking tracks have snappy, catchy pop hooks and melodies from song to song. The melodies and Sarah's vocals are consistently excellent on each and every track. Even the slower songs and the country-infused 'Silverado' have these traits. Sarah's very quirky turn-of-phrase, her rustic, beautiful voice and the strange way she arranges her very Canadian sounding lyrics is something that's entirely unique.

This Album Over-Delivers, which is amazing for someone so far along in her music career, considering many artists seem to peak early (and either remain good or become stale). Perhaps I like this album too much because I've become too used to all of my once-favorite artists letting me down with their new albums, but I don't think that's the case. This album is consistently good, from track to track.

Do yourself a favor and give this album a try.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Sarah Harmer Delivers With Oh Little Fire July 6, 2010

By Philip R. Heath TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Sarah Harmer returns with her fourth CD Oh Little Fire, and as has been the case in the past relationships is a major theme through the majority of the songs. Some have lyrics that are opaque like the opener "The Thief" while others are more explicit such as "New Loneliness". The latter is an almost haunting sparsely instrumented acoustic tune that really goes well with the lyrics. Each verse starts with four lines that point a solitary picture with objects that could also be in pairs followed by four lines where an animal either does or sees something that underscores the loneliness of which Harmer sings. Her vocal delivery is spot on, and I've loved this song since the first time I heard it. One song that is different from the others is Harmer's duet with Neko Case "Silverado". The each take a verse solo and repeat the first verse in harmony. The pair sounds great together on this song about hopes and dreams gone awry. Overall, Oh Little Fire seems to combine bits and pieces from Harmer's previous CDs with great results. If you've liked her previous work, you should enjoy this one too.

Download this: New Loneliness

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars worth the wait September 8, 2010

By Sonja VINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

I remember when I first heard "Basement Apartment" on the radio. Quick like a bunny, I bought the album, "You Were Here" and I was hooked on Sarah Harmer. I listened to that album more times than I can count. The CD permanently resided in my car's stereo. When "All of Our Names" came out, I enjoyed it, but only a few songs really spoke to me. Then there was "I'm a Mountain." Let's just say that one wasn't my cup of tea, but it seemed to get good critical reviews, and I wondered if this meant Ms. Harmer would continue in that direction. I, for one, am happy that she didn't. "Oh Little Fire" goes back to the sound of "You Were Here" and "All of Our Names," and it stands toe to toe with "You Were Here." It's a great album. In the two months that I've had it, I'd say that no more than three days at a time have gone by without me listening to it.

I tend to like up tempo songs, so my favorites are "Captive," "Late Bloomer" (great line: "I didn't want to see it coming, I showed off my heart / Now there's a scar in the shape of a question mark") and "The City" (great line: "Now it's somebody's story, and I'm not sorry that it's mine"). I also happen to love the water and sailing, so I've enjoyed all the references to those things - of which there are plenty.

It's always fun to wonder what inspired the music. There's quite a few "falling in love" and "let's be together forever songs." On the flip side, there's also a bunch of, "Wha' happened? I thought we were going to be together forever!" songs. Makes me curious if the music reflects multiple relationships or just one that was quite a doozy. Well, whatever did or did not happen, we've got a great album as a result.