There is a new thoughtful album that is liable to jazz you without you seeing it coming. Veteran singer/songwriter Laura Veirs‘ new album July Flame continues her legacy as a ponderous lyricist and melody maker, yet there is something about her new work that fills out in its own right. Veirs has always been somewhere in the vein of Kate Bush and Suzanne Vega, but with one foot always planted in the 90s folk scene that favored offsetting arrangements, awkward melodies, and candid, clumsy words. Veirs has managed to preserve all these qualities, but smoothed them out as well; the effect is a clever, playful, serene work of profound feeling and musical tact. Her guitar work is impressively tenacious, evoking the feeling of constant motion with its tireless and flawless plucking. And her vocals feel brighter this time around – she seems to be entering the prime season many singers reach at a certain point in their progression. But it’s really the songs that impress me. They have a nostalgic poignancy to them even in their bubbly, jaunty rhythm. In fact, Veirs has discovered that bizarre range in music that tells one story, but lifts out all the spectrum of feeling that is possible harboring within. When You Give Your Heart is a perfect example of how Veirs draws out equanimity in music and in a story that has a well of darker phenomenon just below it; there’s a weighty simplicity in every line and bar. Other songs like July Flame and Silo Song are more dynamic in scope, but create the same effect. Kudos to Veirs for this one.
David Rozon
Key Tracks: July Flame, Silo Song, When You Give Your Hear
Moods: Autumnal, Intimate, Reflective, Bittersweet, Poignant
Buy: July Flame
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