Jodi Shaw - In Waterland

Jodi Shaw – In Waterland
2012, Jodi Shaw

Jodi Shaw has always been a bit off the beaten path.  The Canadian-born, self-taught singer songwriter transitioned to songs from poetry, finding that her aural and lexemic muse flowed freely together.  In 2009, Shaw teamed up with fellow Canadian Malcolm Burn (Daniel Lanois, Emmylou Harris, Patti Smith, Bob Dylan, Blue Rodeo) to record her latest album, In Waterland, her most accomplished work to date.  In Waterland (due May 5, 2012) took a long time to make it out into the world.  Partway through the creative process, Shaw discovered she was pregnant.  After the birth of twins, she took some time off from music, but returned to complete the album.  Shaw’s poetry and musical sensibilities intertwine to near perfect on In Waterland, a deeply personal and moving experience that is as subtle as the current, and as deep and unbending as the tide.

Kicking things off with “Swim”, Shaw sinks into a sparse and gorgeous musical medium that flows as freely as an ocean current.  Shaw’s voice is incredibly warm, falling somewhere between the edgy depths of Tori Amos and the enigma that is Leslie Feist, with a touch of Fiona Apple’s edge thrown in.  Shaw goes for shock and awe in “The Witch”, assaulting listeners’ preconceptions full on with deep and esoteric musings on the mutability of beauty.  This could be a message from mother to daughter, perhaps, but it explores the essence of beauty as opposed to the often bollixed perceptions of the world.  This is a wow moment for Jodi Shaw, both as a writer and a performer.

Shaw doesn’t waste time offering up another wow, digging deep for Jack & Jill with ruminations on imperfection and love, and how they interrelate.  Shaw builds offsets her vocal affect with a simple and sparse arrangement that draws equally on the twin beauties of the sonic and silence.  Down through these currents to a more carnal side of human nature, Shaw digs in to “Mystery Of Love”, an utterly poetic yet in your face come on.  There is more here than meets the eye/ear, however, as Shaw shows that even desire has many levels.

Shaw gives listeners a breather with “To The Country (We Go)”, a solid transition that sets up the fantasy/reality of “This Balloon/Ode To Zvezdochka”, a tribute to the last Russian dog cosmonaut, if you will.  Think of this as art deco philosophy, driven in time and place by thought that is not trapped by time frame it captures.  “Fortunate Prince” is once again solid, setting the stage for the utter beauty of the title track, “In Waterland”.  Here Shaw paints with a broad brush, in poetic and graceful strokes that go much deeper than the surface.  Shaw explores the connections we make, the loneliness we feel, and the occasional bits of magic we encounter along the way. You’ll find yourself playing this song again and again; plumbing its depths for deeper meaning that is always just out of reach.

In “Hell’s Bells”, Shaw explores the confusion and pain of being taken in romantically by someone whose intentions aren’t as pure or open as your own.  Shaw leaves no emotional stone unturned, exploring the depths and of personal disgrace in both lyrics and music.  In Waterland closes by turning the game around on those who would toy.  In “Fellas”, Shaw is the huntress and the boys are expendable.  You might expect a tongue in cheek nod here, but if there, it never quite becomes apparent.  It’s a powerful close, one that creates its own suspense without ever answering, or even asking, a question.

It’s a cliché, perhaps, but In Waterland is a revelation.  Jodi Shaw creates music like a master painter creates art, with each single stroke building to something beautiful, ear-catching and raw.  The album is nothing short of sublime, leaving rote ideas and musical schemes by the wayside, in favor of raw honesty, and a musical purity not often approached in popular music.  The same melodic magic that Sarah McLachlan is capable of is here, but in more subtle and vaguely darker tones.  At the same time, Shaw exudes the edge of Amos, Apple and Feist.  The album is nothing less than stunning, a Wildy’s World Certified Desert Island Disc for certain.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Jodi Shaw at www.JodiShaw.com or www.myspace.com/jodishaw.  In Waterland makes its way into the world on CD on May 5, 2012.  For those of you who prefer to rent your music, it's already available as a download through the etailers below, as well as through the Wildy's World Amazon Store.

    Amazon MP3          iTunes

Please note that the Amazon.com prices listed above are as of the posting date, and may have changed. Wildy's World is not responsible for price changes instituted by Amazon.com.

Review: HuDost - Trapeze

HuDost - Trapeze
2009, Open Sesame Music

HuDost, based in Montreal and NYC, defy not only national classifications but musical ones as well. Vocalist Moksha Sommer has travelled the globe, studying no less than 12 distinctive vocal styles from around the world. She also contributes harmonium, piano and accordion. She is joined by Jemal Wade Hines on guitar, vocals, bouzouki and bendir to form HuDost, spinning musical webs from all corners of creation. HuDost's CD, Trapeze, is driven by the love of music from all cultures and a seemingly evolutionary songwriting style. Adding to the zeitgeist of the Trapeze is the fact that Sommer was diagnosed with a brain tumor leading up to the recording of Trapeze. The album was recorded between the time of diagnosis and surgery, and reflects some of the urgent energy of someone who truly doesn't know what tomorrow may bring. All of these stands were pulled together by the masterful production skills of Malcolm Burn (Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Daniel Lanois, Peter Gabriel).

Trapeze opens with Trespasser, an energetically mellow bit of layered musical angst that makes Radiohead sound Top-40. Sommer's vocals are a gorgeous thing to hear, and don't so much float over the song as fly down upon it like an eagle on the hunt. Royal Mountain laments the loss of a burial place for the poor in the face of progress. It's a lovely tribute that's in both English and (Canadian) French, and reminds us that the fate of those who were buried there will inevitably be our own. Royal Mountain is set in a great mellow pop arrangement that with other subject matter would likely be real radio fodder. Waiting is presented in the form of a near-Appalachian folk tune, complete with Country/Americana accents.

BreakDown BuildUp is one of the more interesting songs presented on Trapeze, mixing Western and Eastern elements around a great rock melody. Sommer truly shines here in a performance worthy of significant attention. BreakDown BuildUp is a definite highlight track. Waking is a song of thanks for new opportunities and new roads; the song is gorgeously dark with hopeful undertones. Sommer is at her best here, singing with a conviction that is unsettling. Drowned In White plays like an old madrigal choir tune, full of dark, minor-key harmonies and a church-like sense of grace. Sommer shines again on an inspired vocal line set against an instrumental background that is thrillingly complex. Trapeze closes out with something of a reprise of Trespasser.

Have patience with HuDost. It took me three or four listens to really get into Trapeze, but the effort was well worth it. Jemal Wade Hines is a masterful musician in his own right, and Moksha Summer will blow listeners away with her understated vocal grace. There are shades of early Sarah McLachlan here, but just shadows. Summer and Hines are a one-of-a-kind duo. Whatever you want to try to classify them as, HuDost is guaranteed to energize your musical synapses with music that never rests, never stops moving. In conversational terms, Trapeze is an album that never really raises its voice yet commands the room. Trapeze is a classic.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about HuDost at http://www.hudost.com/ or www.myspace.com/hudost. You can purchase a copy of Trapeze at www.cdbaby.com/hudost5.