Song Up in Her Head

Sarah Jarosz | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 16, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sugarhill
• ASIN: B00284G2HG
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #17,880 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #71 in Music > Indie Music > Country > Alt-Country & Americana
  • #73 in Music > Indie Music > Country > Country Folk
  • #91 in Music > Country > Bluegrass > Contemporary

Editorial Reviews

Review

I could tell you what a tremendous musician, natural singer, and precocious writer she is, or I could simply tell you that I and everyone I know in this tight-knit community can't wait to play some more music with Sarah Jarosz. -- Chris Thile (Nickel Creek, Punch Brothers)

Proof that the future of music itself is certain to be full of virtuosity, passion, integrity, deep beauty, and soul. -- Abigail Washburn

Product Description

Seventeen-year-old Texas native Sarah Jarosz emerged on the scene about five years ago as someone to watch. Jamming onstage with bluegrass icons David Grisman and Ricky Skaggs, she played her mandolin with a sure touch and real joy. It looked and sounded comfortable in her then twelve-year-old hands. She started writing songs on the guitar and took up the banjo. While her instrumental talents are formidable, let's make one thing clear: Sarah is a singer. Her voice is velvety smooth, agile, and powerful, occasionally reminiscent of such disparate artists as Natalie Maines and Patty Griffin.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 60 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Sarah Jarosz is curing my Nickel Creek withdrawal June 26, 2009

By Bryan Gilmer

Format:MP3 Music|Amazon Verified Purchase

I found out about this album by being on the Sugar Hill Records mailing list and bought it three days ago. The songs have been "up in my head" ever since. This is a post-newgrass album, with acoustic instruments paying tribute to but never being constrained by bluegrass and folk/roots tradition. The album is as musically complex and precise as Nickel Creek was, which makes it a really smart record to listen to and stands in tribute to Jarosz' skills as a songwriter.

But what has the album stuck in my head and on repeat on my mp3 player is her beautiful singing voice. Such amazing control of her pitch, with almost no trace of vibrato, and somehow she makes it seem effortless. It's a deep, rich alto that reminds me at various moments of Fiona Apple, Melissa Swingle (Trailer Bride, The Moaners) and Karen Peris (Innocence Mission).

Her personal backstory -- being barely out of high school -- is fun and inspiring, but if someone played this album for you without telling you, you'd never know. Though her lyrics have the optimism and centeredness of youth, her voice sounds layered with 10 years of adulthood.

Come to Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, Ms. Jarosz, and I'll be in the front row. This is great work, and I look forward to your next albums.

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Some stunning sounds from Sarah Jarosz and her musicians July 7, 2009

By Colin Spence

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm at a slight loss for words in trying to describe the rather alluring music on this album; to my ears, it has quite an unusual sound - but I'm not sure whether this is because it IS unusual, or simply because I don't listen to this type of music very frequently. The music is a refreshing mix of contemporary folk, 'newgrass', blues and pop.

I'd describe SJ's voice as a 'bluesy-folksy' alto, and she employs a mature phrasing and delivery which belies her tender age (it's difficult to believe that she was only 17 when the album was recorded). She is not an especially powerful singer, and there are some odd occasions when her vocals tend to blur into the instrumental accompaniment. The playing, including that of SJ herself, is mighty impressive - fluent, vibrant, delicate and sometimes intricate, both as solo and as ensemble playing. Instruments featured most prominently are banjo, fiddle, and mandolin; other instruments played include cello, guitars (acoustic, Weissenborn slide, National resonator, dobro and pedal steel) and keyboards (piano and synths); bass is acoustic, and percussion is played on 3 tracks only. The album is 'semi-instrumental' - i.e. vocals and instrumentals are shared about 50/50 on many songs, and there are 2 all instrumental tracks.

There are 11 songs written by SJ plus 2 covers. Her own songs tend not to conform to the more usual verse/chorus/bridge patterns; instead, it strikes me that she writes from the perspective of a musician/song-arranger - at least, more so than that of a 'conventional' singer-songwriter. In common with most albums that I buy, there are 2 or 3 songs which don't do much for me - but a few comments about my favourites :

EDGE OF A DREAM - a haunting and atmospheric (the echo is a bit over-done) slow tempo song with lyrics which convey some of her own doubts and hopes about the future; SG accompanies herself on fretless banjo; MANSINNEEDOF - a fairly short 'bright and breezy' instrumental featuring the interplay of 2 mandolins and fiddle, all underscored by a warm acoustic bass; BROUSSARD'S LAMENT - perhaps the one song, with it's more emphatic percussion that, in parts, comes closest to rocking; edgy lyrics which (I assume) are about the mismanagement of rescue efforts following the Katrina disaster; fine fiddle solo from Stuart Duncan; LEFT HOME - a song with a strong pop feel; terrific short solos on dobro (Jerry Douglas) and fiddle (Stuart Duncan), plus great harmonies; SHANKHILL BUTCHERS (Colin Meloy) - splendid cover of the Decemberists' menacing and creepy murder ballad, strong vocals from SG delivered with a hint of sardonicism; COME ON UP TO THE HOUSE (Tom Waits/Kathleen Brennan) - a swinging blues/gospel flavoured rendition of this song.

'Song Up In Her Head' will not appeal to everyone, but if you like the music of Nickel Creek, Crooked Still or The Wailin' Jennys, then you might want to give it a try. It's a remarkable debut album from a talented young artist and some highly accomplished musicians.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Jarosz is the Tim O'Brien of her generation January 26, 2010

By Nobody important VINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

Sarah Jarosz is not what you might expect. She is a prodigy in a genre that appeals to child prodigies. A child prodigy's first bluegrass album tends to be a flashy demonstration of instrumental skill with relatively ordinary compositions and arrangements. Jarosz is as un-flashy a player as you are likely to hear. She rarely cuts loose with a jaw-dropping display of instrumental skill, preferring a minimalist approach. The arrangements, too, are stripped-down, allowing the listener to appreciate the subtle interplay between just a few sympathetic musicians. The compositions themselves are far more advanced than what most musicians several times Jarosz's age can write, combining old-time, Celtic and blues with distinctly modern rhythms. Most surprising, though, is Jarosz's voice. Most kids show their age when they sing. Personally, I am not a fan of overly-clean singing voices, particularly in bluegrass, and most young women Jarosz's age who sing have saccharine voices. I will use an "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou" comparison because I expect that most readers will get the reference: Jarosz is far closer to Gillian Welch (one of my favorite musicians of all time) than to Alison Krauss (another former child prodigy). Her voice is a bit lower than most female singers (particularly her age), and has just the right amount of weather-beaten quality that a bluegrass singer needs. She also eschews the excessive vibrato that some young and gifted singers fall into the pit of using. In short, Jarosz is the most promising young bluegrass musician to arrive on the scene in years.

There is an obvious temptation to compare Jarosz to Nickel Creek, a group of child prodigies with progressive bluegrass sensibilities. However, I strongly prefer Jarosz's darker voice to that of Sara Watkins, and Jarosz relies more on roots styles than modern indie rock, as Nickel Creek did on their second two albums. The other obvious point of comparison would be Alison Krauss, who showed up on the bluegrass scene to similar acclaim many years ago as a child prodigy with strong instrumental skills and an appealing voice. Again, though, the soulful darkness in Jarosz's voice, which permeates her compositions as well, sets her apart. For me, the only real comparison is Tim O'Brien. O'Brien is probably my favorite bluegrass singer. His raspy but perfectly-controlled voice is ideal for the genre, and he is a versatile, expressive multi-instrumentalist who never over-plays. Jarosz is well-positioned to become the Tim O'Brien of her generation, with a perfectly-imperfect voice, multi-instrumental skills, compositional maturity, and genre-crossing sensibilities.

Further listening:

Tim O'Brien and Darrell Scott, Real Time. This album is the perfect, stripped-down bluegrass album with great singing, and subtle, un-flashy instrumental work.

Gillian Welch, Hell Among the Yearlings. All of Welch's albums are outstanding, but I am particularly fond of Hell Among the Yearlings these days. Welch is closer to old-time country than bluegrass, but Jarosz is barely bluegrass anyway.

Dave Rawlings Machine, A Friend of a Friend. Welch's guitarist just put out an outstanding album. His voice isn't nearly as impressive as Jarosz's or Welch's, but the music is wonderful.