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Do you know how it is when you hear a song, and it's sooooo good, you can feel it in your stomach? That's the new album from Mary Lorson!
If her name sounds familiar, well, Mary is the former vocalist for Madder Rose. Frankly, I never even realized that Madder Rose broke up, but well, there you go. And husband/former-Madder Billy Cote produces here. (In fact, her site notes they're gonna have a baby soon, so YAY!)
I've been listening to a lot of Madder Rose lately since Mike went on his recent CD Odyssey, and I've found that their back catalog is pretty hit-or-miss. When Madder Rose are good, they are sooooo freaking amazing. And when they're bad, they're meh. (Especially on that "Peter & Victor" track off of Tragic Magic...yeccck!) So, let's say that Mary's album is like a Madder Rose album with all the "meh" songs weeded out.
Actually, no, let's take it further: when I heard the first track off this album (well, the first real track since track 1 is mostly noise), I totally went weak in the knees: "Morningless Dreamer" - - - the most gorgeous emotionally-affective acoustic piano work and Mary's gorgeous voice sweeping over it, then hints of orchestration kick in. HUGE fluttery SIGH! Mary's grown a lot since her Madder days. Her songwriting is much more sophisticated. And I love the use of piano all throughout the album. Kinda makes me think of K., or Karla of Ida's new project - - - and Mary's new songs have that sort of wistful sadness that Ida songs project, too.
Heck, what else?!?! "Anything Can Happen" sounds like an old Carole King b-side or something, with it's downtempo piano work, yet sing-songy chorus. "Long Way Down" is utterly lovely, even with the guest vocal work from mumbly Evan Dando. (Atleast his guitar work stands up here.) No, really, his mumbling works well against the clear-as-bell angelic-ness of Mary's voice.
This is just so amazing. I wish I would've had this last fall, becuase the quiet songs really capture that 2:00 a.m. in the morning, darkened sky, making your way home after a show feeling, when there's no one out on the streets but you. That sounds really pretentious and lame, but if you know that feeling I'm talking about, then I feel like I succeeded in describing this CD. : ) (janice.05.02)
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