Dana Sipos likes being outdoors, in the woods or biking and
canoeing around, so it's fitting she's playing tonight (June 15) on
Ministers Island in St. Andrews, N.B. It's an outdoor show at the
amazing Bath House on the historic Van Horne property, only accessible
during low tide. No doubt it will be a wonderful evening experience,
starting at 7 p.m.
That's just the start of the East Coast tour though, as Sipos promotes her new Trick
Of The Light album. Always keen on pushing the boundaries of folk, it's
unclear where and when her songs are set, both musically and lyrically.
Both Shenandoah and the Blue Ridge Mountains show up, but are they
places or states of mind, those iconic folk spots? The language and
references are equally blurry. The hurricanes approaching in Lily In The
Window could be today's bad weather or last century's, as the singer
thinks they are payback for wicked ways: "Too much moonshine, not enough
God-fearing," she sings. But in another weather number, Windsong,
drivers notice the glow of the nearby power plant. There's more great
observation later in that song, as they drive by "under the watchful
eyes of the bovine, chewing hard and staring us down."
The
music is based around Sipos' haunting, 19th century voice, a
tremendously evocative instrument in itself. She lingers over words,
"walking in the rain" becoming a slow stroll over several notes.
Producer Sandro Perri, equally adventurous, puts a combination of old
instruments and new sounds around her, including violin, which matches
her voice -- or vice-versa. Her own gentle picking is matched with piano
or keyboards and light percussion, and the occasional eerie bits of
electronics surprisingly make it feel more ancient that modern. To put a
final ribbon on it, everyone's favourite eccentric, Mary Margaret
O'Hara, joins to add vocal calisthenics on When The Body Breaks.
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