Allison Crowe - Sylvan Hour, album review

Intense

The songs on this 'new' album are actually from live recordings made over a one hour session - apparently - just on piano in 2006 in preparation for future group recordings, and only recently found having been lost. I hadn't heard Canadian chanteuse Crowe before, and on the evidence of her stunning vocals here that is surprising. That said, these recordings are quite intense as a block of songs, ironically because of that vocal power, perhaps overstated at times for some, and I guess I could be one of them, but what I'm really thinking is that if spread across a more varied album with band numbers interspersed with these solo ones that variation would have allowed more sonic breadth. Another factor that will be in Crowe's favour, or not, is her covers of such established classics as Joni Mitchell's Case of You and Aretha Franklin's I Never Loved A Man [The Way I Love You], both of which Crowe performs brilliantly, but people will have their adherences and allegiances. Personally, the album begins exquisitely with a cover, though perhaps because it isn't usurping another great female vocal it is different in effect, and it is The Lovin' Spoonful's Darling Be Home Soon. Crowe's vocal cross between Buffy St Marie and Tracey Chapman in its tone and warble works particularly emotively here, the effortless rise and fall across vocal tone/octaves seeming more apt and less overtly virtuoso. Possibly, I just love this song and love this version.