Customer Reviews

Oh My Darling

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Seriously good debut from Toronto singer/songwriter Basia Bulat may spur comparisons to everyone from Joni Mitchell to Natalie Merchant, Feist and Hem, and all will be apt, but none will be quite on the mark. If anything, Bulat's music may be best described as coming from a modern troubadour, as it's charming, entertaining and totally engaging. She's also got a knack for ornate yet still catchy and transporting melodies, and there's that a gorgeous and very unique voice of hers. Oh, My Darling is a happy find indeed. Very much recommended. Standout cuts: "Little Waltz," "Snakes And Ladders," "In The Night" and "La-Da-Da."

An excellent, heartfelt debut from this Canadian singer/songwriter. Her voice has been described as "reedy", which is appropriate but does not capture the full spirit of her melodies, laced with vibrato and emotional overtones. Her vocal style may remind some listeners of early Joni Mitchell, yet it is still unique and works well.

Many songs are simple acoustic numbers, letting Basia's voice carry them. Other tracks have string accompaniment, adding a layer of musical complexity to an otherwise sparse sound which assumes no pretenses. Backing harmonies are abundant. Some tracks (Before I Knew, Oh My Darling) are short and sweet; they end before the listener has a chance to really absorb them, begging to be heard multiple times.

Her lyrics are sometimes melancholy, sometimes joyful, evoking a whole range of emotions. High points include Before I Knew, Why Can't It Be Mine, and Bird of Paradise. As a whole, the album is beautiful and imminently listenable.

We saw Basia open for Devotchka in St. Louis, and she stole the show. Unbelievable show... I've been to literally hundreds of shows and an opener rarely gets the crowd by the ears and hearts so effectively.
While the live vibe was incredible (strings made a huge difference), the CD has a more subtle feel to it, with a piano they lacked on stage. I recommend this both for lovers of great singers and stellar songwriting. She's got a voice that edges between the modern female folk-rock ideal and classic Southern soul. Beautiful, both inspiring and heart-wrenching.

Basia Bulat came out of nowhere (for me anyway) with this album, bringing a nice mix of mostly folksy, pensive songs. "Oh, My Darling" (13 tracks, 38 min.) starts off with a short "Before I Knew" before crashing in with an upbeat "I Was a Daughter" which sounds great. After that "Little Waltz" showcases Basia's vocals (augmented only by acoustic guitar), just beautiful. Other highlights for me include "Snakes and Ladders", reminiscent of Natalie Merchant; "Why Can't It Be Mine", reminicent of fellow Canadian Joni Mitchell from the "Blue" era, just outstanding; and "Birds of Paradise", again just Basia just on acoustic guitar.

I probably would have never found out about Basia Bulat but for the fact that I saw her in concert last month, opening for DevotchKa. And what a set she brought. She opened (before a talkative crowd) with an a-capella song, and brought to house to a complete silence, you could've heard a pin drop, wow. Basia had an excellent backing band, and they brought many of the songs from "Oh, My Darling" in their 45 min. set, and absolutely won over the audience. Talk about captivating a stage. Meanwhile, "Oh, My Darling" is a very nice debut album, and I can't wait to see where Basia will go from here.

I love Basia's voice - beautiful and unique. I was a little disappointed in this CD though because the volume of the instruments was so loud that it drowned her voice out! What a bummer. The music arranger should be fired.

Perhaps one of my absolute favorite CD's of all time.
Music is peppy, beautiful and addictive.
This is one of those CD's that I can listen to on loop and never get tired of it.

Absolutely beautiful - I've heard a fragmnent of one of the songs in ad and was trying to find the original song for a while.

Great albu; can listen to over and over again. Her voice is unique and soothing- the percussion is intriguing. I love it.

Seeing Basia live at the Calgary Folk Fest where she went down a storm ( working the stage on her own and with the Great Lake Swimmers ) was great, she has already started adapting her songs from the album, the standout tracks being In the Night and I was a Daughter.

Her vocal has more depth and complexity to it than most of the other female singers around and this is what sets her apart.

See her live if you can.

I listened to this cd at a local music store in Toronto. (Basia I believe is from this neck of the woods) It sounded ok nothing ground breaking but I like to pick up new albums when I can, especially female singers as that is really lacking from my collection.
The more I listen to this cd the more it resonates with me. Basia has a beautiful voice, the compositions are while poppy not at all generic like a lot of signed female singer songwriters. She is clearly very talented and will go on to record much better work.
One of the better albums of the last year, also beautifully produced which is just the icing on the cake.