Canadian singer-songwriter lighting a candle of hope for us all.
There is a beauty to Shane Pendergast’s music that instantly puts you in a reflective, relaxed mood. Think of families, loved ones, and friends who have drifted by. The sea influences the songs: the sound of the rolling waves, the sea breeze, the change in the weather, wind, and rain. Music for all seasons, but mainly the feeling of a warm fire and flickering candles.
Pendergast is a Canadian singer/songwriter from Prince Edward Island (PEI). His maritime home has undoubtedly influenced this collection of songs. His previous studio album, “Second Wind,” won Contemporary Roots Album of the Year at the PEI Awards. It has a bluegrass feel and features fiddles, drums and a full band, while this latest playlist is more introspective but no less enjoyable. Pendergast is on guitar with piano accompaniment from Aaron Comeau of the Skyddigers, and the tunes take on a personal, intimate feel.
‘Playing Crib by The Stove on Gibbs Crick Road’ is an exploration and an allegory of life. As the story unfolds, a storm rolls in, but the players continue to play even when the power goes out and the snow globe cracks. They end up playing by the light of a glowing candle wick. Candles and that bright point of hope are the themes throughout the songs.
The single ‘Candle on the Sill’ illustrates the sense of long winter nights staring into the ocean. For millennia, people lit candles and placed them on their windowsills. Families light a candle for a loved one away until their safe return. A beacon of light to bring them home. The gorgeous poetry of Pendergast’s song takes you to that sill with your eyes firmly on the horizon. The engineer created the perfect mood in the studio during the recording with nearby candles.
‘Farewell to The Teacup’ rolls along the softly undulating waves with the gulls crying above. Pendergast sings, “You once were a cliff, with no whispers of doubt”, a lament to the days when the simple cup of tea brought people together. Pendergast uses the teacup as a metaphor for all that is lost through life. A broken teacup can never be put back together. There is no storm in a teacup here; it is a final celebration of life.
‘Poet and the Saint’ will give you serious Townes Van Zant vibes. Simple guitar frames the story of the cowboy, the poet and the saint. Based in Wyoming, Pendergast takes us across the landscape on the back of a horse. “Although the passions of the world destroy him / He’s used his words to make himself a name” Beautiful poetry with a haunting harmonica thrown into the mix.
‘Music Man’ ends the set and begins with some fine arpeggio guitar. Pendergast’s deep, warm voice carries the words exquisitely. He has produced a record that will grace any candlelit night before the fire or an evening outside graced with a stunning sunset.
