Customer Reviews

Song Up In Her Head

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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.

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.

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.

I heard Sarah Jarosz interviewed in NPR and couldn't wait until I could download her album today. Somewhere I heard her referred to as a "wunderkind" -- and I hope and believe she achieve great commercial success with her albums. I think her talent and ambition reflects a huge success already achieved.

Her mastery of musical instruments is amazing -- I can't wait to see how she grows as her skills evolve. But then her voice! It's kind of understated, mature yet not overly sophisticated, so it complements and is complemented by the mandolin/banjo/guitar. Her voice also surprises. You will just have to listen to see what I mean.

I haven't been this excited about an artist in a long time! Sarah is someone very special.

I purchased this album on the strength of Sarah's interview on NPR, charmed by comments about juggling music and calculus (she just graduated from high school). From that feature, I expected a refreshing listen with some good banjo and mandolin picking. And I got what I expected. Then I came to Shankill Butchers, a macabre, Andrew Bird-esque ditty. Now I'm hooked. This album is sometimes fun, sometimes sweet or melancholy, always superbly performed.

Sarah is someone I've been "hearing about" for a long time and after seeing her play and sing on a local am news show, I couldn't wait for this to cd to come out. Her command of her instruments is amazing for someone so young but the thing that most impressed me is her talent at song writing and her vocal maturity. Can't wait to see what musical roads this young lady will follow but I am along for the ride. If you are a fan of Alison Krauss or Nickelcreek you will most likely enjoy this. Sarah Jarosz is definitely one to watch

Having traversed bluegrass circles for five years, this seventeen-year-old singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist is ready to transcend the "prodigy" label. Yet the fluidity of her singing, the depth of her songwriting and the confidence in her picking are still preternaturally poised for a high school senior. Her debut features eleven solo compositions played with a band that features legends of the acoustic string scene such as Jerry Douglas and Darrell Scott, and up-and-coming peers Samson Grisman and Alex Hargreaves. Jarosz doesn't trade on her youth, singing in a voice richer than a teenager's and writing lyrics whose poetry is that of a songwriter, rather than a high school class. The unbridled yearning in her songs is the only real mark of her age, as she dreams of finding love and aches with the opportunities she encounters. She turns into a jazz chanteuse for covers of the Decemberists' bloody "Shankill Butchers" and Tom Waits' "Come on Up to the House," and picks mandolin and clawhammer banjo on a pair of original instrumentals. Jarosz avoids the precociousness of youthful talent by guiding listeners to focus on her talent, rather than her youth. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]

I bought this CD because I was buying The Darlings, and curious to see what other Darlings fans had purchased. Once I read the reviews, my interest was piqued. And am I glad! This is the most stunning debut I've heard in years and years. Everything works - her phrasing, her playing, the arrangements, the sidemen, the instrumentals as well as the songs. She's young - I say that with absolutely no irony or condescension - but seasoned. What a rare combination that is these days!
I can't wait to hear what her next record is like. And I hope she gets that Grammy for best country instrumental, though I think this album should have also been nominated at least in the Best Contemporary Folk section. Don't let the "bluegrass" accolades turn you off - these are wonderful songs by a wonderful singer and player.
And heck, it's great to hear a female taking the front place as a player!

I thought nothing could beat Sierra Hull's "Secrets" as a great debut album by a precocious female teenage bluegrass artist. But this disc proves me wrong. If Sierra's sweet, melodic traditional style is Paul McCartney-esque, then Sarah is the more adventurous, eclectic and poetic John Lennon. Incredible songwriting talent, vocal deliveries and musicianship (mandolin, guitar, clawhammer banjo, mandocello and piano). She adds a bluesy, sometimes jazzy element to her repertoire of acoustic-bluegrass foundation. The songs on here display her versatility and diversity. Two great instrumentals, two great cover tunes, and the final track "Little Song" is so delicate and sweet you just want to give the singer a tight hug. This young woman is a force to be reckoned with. Don't DL the MP3's, get the CD - you'll want the credits, liner notes, and especially the beautiful lyrics that come in the booklet. This is a VERY extraordinary talent.

Sarah Jarosz
"Song Up In Her Head"
(Sugar Hill, 2009)
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This is one of the best Americana albums of the year, by one of the most striking, powerful new performers of the decade. Sarah Jarosz, possessed of a lovely voice, is an immensely confident, solid performer, a multi-instrumentalist who is equally at home on clawhammer banjo, piano or mandolin, and who writes tightly-crafted, stylistically adventurous songs. Fans of Nickel Creek, Alison Krauss, Joni Mitchell or David Rawlings & Gillian Welch will all be thrilled to discover this album. There are a number of songs that will stick in your head for days on end; among these, her topical song "Broussard's Lament" is one of the most powerful and effective songs written about Hurricane Katrina. This is an artist you'll want to keep your eye on. (DJ Joe Sixpack, Slipcue Guide To Hick Music)