It is a bit strange, because I usually cannot remember specifically the first time hearing most musicians or bands. They just kind of show up at some point, and you begin to take notice of them over time. I cannot possibly remember the first time hearing, say, the Beatles or Led Zeppelin or Metallica or the Dead Kennedys or so many others. The list of "first time hearing" certain bands or artists is relatively short. I can remember the first time that I heard Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" fairly vividly, since it was well over three decades ago.
Sarah McLachlan is one of those artists I can specifically remember hearing for the first time. It was 1995, if memory serves correctly, and a song came on which I immediately liked. It was "I Will Remember You." Funny, because it was the first song which made me notice her, although it now ranks as probably closer to my least favorite of her songs. Probably because it felt overplayed for a time.
Yet, that was the one which made me take notice of her for the first time. Mind you, this was right in the middle of the nineties, a decade defined musically by the explosive sound of "grunge" mostly coming out of Seattle earlier in the decade. Sarah McLachlan hardly fit in with that music scene. Yet, it is a testament to the rather universal appeal of her music that she not only got a toehold on the slippery slopes of the popular music scene but actually used it for purchase and ascended the slopes. For a while in the late nineties and again in the early 2000's, she was frequently on the radio waves and on MTV.
Her music can be rocking, although even then it has a distinctly different feel than the rawer sounds of grunge and so-called post-grunge which dominated the decade from which McLachlan emerged. Mostly, her music tends to be introspective, giving voice to life's doubts and dramas. Her lyrical content is, more often than not, poignant and moving, powerful.
This was what allowed her not only to stand on her own and apart from the popular music scene dominating the early stages of her career, but which also allowed her career to withstand the test of time. Throughout the subsequent years and decades, she has managed to remain very relevant and influential in her own right. The popularity of her Lilith Fair is proof of that, as are the impressive sales of her albums.
McLachlan is out with a new album, her first studio album in the better part of a decade. That's a fairly long time between releases.
So how is it?
Well, I rather like it. To be sure, it is different from the stuff which she released decades ago, which often dominated radio waves and was prominently featured on MTV. This albums feels more mature, more grown up. Clearly, McLachlan has changed, as the world has changed. It is interesting to see, or rather to hear, how all of these changes have impacted her perspective.
The last four tracks were my favorite. Indeed, it felt to me like she left the best for last.
Track List:
1. Better Broken - The song that opens this new McLachlan album starts off slow before building momentum. It also features that distinctive crack, if you will, of McLachlan's voice, which Chappell Roan's singing in her recent hit "Pink Pony Club" reminded me of quite a bit. The lyrics show that McLachlan has gained wisdom over the years in the spotlight as a successful musician:
"A memory like a stone
A jagged edge made smooth by time
Let it be all it is
Small and still and better left alone
Some things are better broken"
2. Gravity - Lyrics serving as a tribute, or at least a description, of someone, or rather, that person's relation to the singer. It is clear that there are tensions, yet McLachlan calmly sings about the other's pain, and enduring. A beautiful song, with contemplative lyrics that draw the listener in further.
3. The Last to Go - It felt to me, listening to this song, that the music might have taken a back seat to the lyrics. Not sure that I am right about that, but that's how it feels. She seems to be addressing someone - or perhaps society at large - from the angle of someone who has suffered a measure of abuse and is trying to make sense of it. Powerful stuff.
4. Only Way Out is Through - A love song, or perhaps more accurately, a song about the power of love. Melodic, with reflective, mature lyrics, addressing the pain that those close to you cause. Yet urging the listener not to back down or shy away, but to grow stronger by facing it. The end of this song felt reminiscent of the Beatles in sound. Not sure if that was intentional, perhaps a tribute. But it stood out as something.
5. Reminds Me (featuring Katie Gavin) - Yes, Katie Gavin works with McLachlan on this one. A happy smile, appreciative of the one it is being addressed to. The video actually felt a bit reminiscent of another Canadian musician's video: "Harvest Moon" by Neil Young. A decent track.
6. One in a Long Line - She comes out seemingly in a cold and unaccommodating wilderness. Yet we get the sense rather quickly that the wilderness she describes is her past, which has made her stronger. McLachlan insists that because she has a forgiving heart, she should not be mistaken as weak. She warns to get the other's dirty hands off her wheel, as she is determined to live her own life, control her own destiny.
7. Only Human - Sometimes, there is music that has a distinctive feel, as if it belongs to a certain time of year, or hour of the day. For example, Love Over Gold by Dire Straights always felt like an album to listen to on a winter's night, while Tom Petty's Full Moon Fever actually feels like something to listen to on a sunny summer day. This particular track feels like it ought to be listened to on a cold, desolate night, preferably in the wee hours, when everyone else is asleep. McLachlan seems to be addressing a certain isolation, a feeling of being alone and trying to figure things out by herself.
8. Long Road Home - A song that got my attention right away, because it somehow felt different than the other songs on this album. She opens with the piano. The lyrics also betray the maturity of her years, as evidenced by this line: "If everything was easy, it wouldn't be worth it." This was the first of the later tracks on this album which really captured my attention right from the first listen.
9. Rise - This one has a folksy sound to start with. But it gets a cheery feel before long, as McLachlan imagines a better world than this one. Yet, it is not without a warning: "Who do we turn to when we turn on each other?" Another solid track.
10. Wilderness - A piano piece, and it is the piano which lends this song a distinctive feel. This is a love song, yet quite atypical for a love song. After all, how many love songs include the sentiment of being tired of the other person's shit? Yet that does not turn this one into a joke. Far from it. In fact, the lyrics are powerful and mature and grounded with a realistic feel.
11. If This is the End - This one has a different sound than the rest of the songs on this album. It pulled me in right away with an enchanting opening. There is a somber feel to the song, yet it also is halfway to being almost merry in spirit. A cheer that would not sound out of place in a bar, or with raised glasses at a wedding or something, has the refrain "Here's to the sky!" A solid closer.
A solid album overall, well worth the listen.
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