MUSIC VIDEO: (PHOENIX)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j13Jwyb-AnA
Written
by Pamela Bellmore, posted by blog admin
Sarah
Donner’s Black Hole Heart illustrates how this singer/songwriter’s continued
growth is making a case for her not being one of the most talented and
promising figures on the indie scene, but as one of the best songwriters rising
up through the ranks today. Her talents also cut against any notion of gender –
this isn’t your stereotypical “chick” singer/songwriter specializing in
appropriately heart-quaking odes to broken hearts and spurned love. The dozen
songs included on Black Hole Heart speak directly to listeners, indulge in a
meaningful amount of literary flair, and demonstrate uniformity of musical
quality we don’t often hear on such extended collections./ There’s no danger of
over-reach with Sarah Donner’s Black Hole Heart. Instead, the album’s dozen
songs are uncluttered, pointed, and frequently quite eloquent.
It
begins with the delightfully arranged “Phoenix” Referencing the mythological
bird who rose from ashes to fly again is a popular trope in the arts, even
popular song, and Donner’s writing definitely implies a deep connection with
the story. She demonstrates a light touch, however, despite the potentially
weighty subject matter and the song’s clipped, acoustic guitar based melodicism
is complemented by a superb bass line courtesy of Jay Buchanan. The title cut
has a sound quite unlike anything else you’ll hear in this style and the
simmering qualities of its arrangement are married nicely with Donner’s emotive
voice. Her writing talents for invoking a character’s voice come to the fore
with the song “Tamsen Donner 1847” and the darkness edging in along the margins
of her narrative are masterfully controlled – it never drags the lyrics
entirely into unpleasantness and despair, but we get the sense that it is right
around the corner. “Athena” is a
beautifully wrought and lilting tune with snowflake like delicacy that seems to
sparkle around the listener.. Donner has a supreme talent for invoking textures
with minimal instrumental support and it illustrates how deep her melodic
skills run.
The
inclusion of brass on “The Flood” pairs tightly together with the tempo’s
light, intermittent gallop. It doesn’t maintain a constant presence in the
song, but punctuates it nicely and brings an extra layer to its musicality.
There’s a slightly skewed quality to certain passages as well. She indulges her
love for classical imagery once again with the song “Albatross” and its
undeniable that Donner’s able to bring some literary significance to her
songwriting. Never mistake this for some stilted, unmusical touch – the lyrics,
no matter their quality, are always complementary to the music and vice versa.
Michael McLean duets with Donner on the graceful and lovely “All the Things”
and it ranks among the album’s best moments, but another crucial factor in the
song’s success is light percussion providing an intensely rhythmic pulse. The
haunted quality of the album finale “Sol 549” is tempered by its melodic beauty
and makes for a gentle, muted close to Donner’s album. Black Hole Heart is a
moody collection at some points and Donner’s self-appraisal can seem rather
withering, but the humanity behind this group of songs is unmistakable.
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