Genre-defying piano/poetry album to calm the soul.
How wonderful to have an album that almost defies description. Robin Holcomb is a Seattle-based pianist and singer-songwriter who’s been making music since the term ‘americana’ was originated back in the early nineties. Celebrated and revered for her masterful poetry – her albums encompass a range of styles – orchestral, folk, jazz, americana and everything in between.
This album is the second volume of a series of releases under the ‘One Way Or Another‘ category and it’s released on the Nonesuch label – her home for most of her career. It’s no fluke that Nonesuch’s other star performer is the glorious Randy Newman – and there’s an instant correlation between his music and Holcomb’s. Indeed here she covers one of his songs.
So this is a solo album – and you’re spending a mesmerising time in the company of her piano, her beautiful poetry and her distinctive voice. It’s quite a challenging listen – but in a good way – with a free-form feel to many of the songs, it’s a seriously classy listen.
Opener ‘The Sweetest Thing‘ is a short piece and sets the tone of the album; complex poetry being sung to measured and almost abstract piano playing. For anyone new to Holcomb’s work it’s quite a distinctive sound, and one that the listener has to get used to.
On track two we have a masterpiece of a song ‘Deliver Me‘, a lengthy piece with the most distinctive and memorable tune, reminiscent of Over The Rhine at their best. It’s haunting, captivating and the best track on the album. And boy does it pack an emotional punch.
Next is a cover of Randy Newman’s ‘Old Man‘. Again it’s a brief and off-kilter listen, but something Newman will be really proud of. ‘Kind Treatment’ is one of two covers of songs by the Mississippi Sheiks, a 1930’s country blues band, whose fans included the late Rory Gallagher and Jack White. It’s a lovely blues-tinged piano tune and Holcomb brings her distinctive feel to a great song. ‘Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair‘ is a cover of an 1854 parlour song by the ‘father of American music’ Stephen Foster.
This is a little of an acquired taste for people who are willing to open their minds to an album of haunting poetry and sublime piano playing with a free-form jazz-type feel. There’s not much variety on offer here, but it oozes sheer class. It’s not for everyone but it gets under the skin if you allow it to.
