Customer Reviews

Realistic

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

 

 

After some remarkable work as a member of Saint Low and, a bit less impressive, for Madder Rose, Lorson went solo, or at least putting her name ahead of Saint Low. This is her second album under her name, after the soundscapes she created with her partner Billy Coté in "Piano Creeps," and unlike the former she seems to have approached this album more personally, I'd even say as a diary of sorts.
Within recent times she conceived a baby and successfully fend off cancer, which is more than enough intense and direct experiences to guarantee a reexamination in any artist's life. This album represents such serious and earnest look at what has been and what she needs to say, and it is admirable.
I guess, then, the title of her new album, "Realistic," is nothing less than a statement of purpose about her life and her music. In that respect, the CD cover a sepia photograph of herself in the midst of trees from which bright red apples hang, is particularly poignant of this album's content.
Perhaps less dramatic without lacking in emotional depth, Lorson seems more tender in her singing and more vulnerable in her words. There are several songs that stand out and can easily be added to your favorite songs from past works, "Spider," "Realistic," "Lonely Boy" -dedicated to Elliott Smith and perhaps my favorite- and "Serenade."
Although I would not award it the label of "classic" or "masterpiece," this album is definitely worth listening to and appreciating. Try it, Mary has plenty to say and sing about.

PS: Please note that the songs' list on this page is incomplete. The full list is:
1. Wait for the Sun
2. Realistic
3. Spider
4. Born Knowing
5. Dangerous
6. Walking Man
7. Lonely Boy
8. Out of your Mind
9. These Days
10. Ties that Bind
11. Serenade
12. Brand New Spring

Mary Lorson's voice is sweet without being saccharin. One keeps expecting the voice to break, or to hear a glotteral stop, or some flaw because she is trying to be too earnest, or perhaps to drop too far into non-singing talkiness that modern folksingers tend to use when they have too many lyrics to fit in (which I don't like). She comes close to the last flaw in track 5, Dangerous, but otherwise keeps the lyrics, well, lyrical.

In places, especially track 2 "realistic", she sounds a lot like Suzanne Vega both in voice and song structure. "Realistic" could have come right off Vega's "Solitude Standing".

The music is quite listenable, perfect for relaxed listening or perhaps kicking back with (adult) friends. But the real star is Lorson's voice. It is something of an enigma, it's hard to pin down what it is that is so pleasent, because the intellect is saying things like "it's too sweet, too thin, not enough oomph". It threatens to be like Liv Tyler's speaking voice - completely without power and forgettable (except for the fact that it is so nondescript). And yet there's...something. She is like a french horn playing solo against a full orchestra - unassuming, almost drowned out by everything else, soft and non-prepossesing, but somehow so beautiful that the lack of actual strength can't keep that horn from being heard.

No, that's not right. Her voice is pretty and seems to take a lot of air to wind. She sounds like a voice on the open ocean, sweet but completely consumed by open space as soon as the sound leaves her lips.

This might be more of a production quality, certainly there are ways to process a voice to give it more 'oomph'. But I, for one, am glad they didn't do that, because it would remove what is unique and beautiful about Mary's voice.

I must deduct a star because there are some stinkers on the album, like the aforementioned "Dangerous". Besides, my standards are pretty high - 5 stars means "a classic", and while this album is very good (and your friends are sure to ask you who this is when you play the album), it is not a classic.