Because her voice, all on its own, sells the material with such bolded, exclamation-pointed certainty that she might as well be singing amens. Bulat's shown an affinity for gospel in the past, covering Sam Cooke's "Touch the Hem of His Garment" live, and I had to doublecheck that the soul-baring, organ-burred album closer, "If It Rains", isn't a traditional praise song (nope, Bulat wrote it). I think I speak for everyone when I say so soon after the holidays: I don't want to hear another goddamned jingle bell for at least 10 months.īut the album shakes such shackles often enough to maintain an atmosphere of warm intimacy. 652 Dislike Share Rough Trade Records 213K subscribers The DUMBO Sessions continue with this intimate rendition of Basia Bulat's 'Gold Rush' off of her forthcoming album 'Heart. Possibly more distracting are the precious sleigh bells roped around "Run"'s neck and mixed too high. Not only does such embellishment gild the lily in an already crowded hothouse, but it dates the song five years. And despite all the ace moments in "Gold Rush", what sounds like a choir's "ah ah ah ahs" that sneak in on the song's bridge sound stolen from Arcade Fire's Funeral sessions. Bulat seems out of breath competing with the brute-forced keyboards of "Walk You Down". Unfortunately, Heart's production isn't always successful. Bulat stopped and wrote a batch of songs on her last tour in tiny Dawson City, and you can practically hear the north wind's raw melancholy burn on tunes like the otherwise frisky title track. ![]() This last track references the album's primary inspiration, Canada's isolated Yukon Territory. "Gold Rush", wisely released as the LP's first single, interprets "rush" literally, with stomped beats, gushing strings, and Bulat's fevered vocal performance. Spectacular album opener "Go On" pairs hit-the-road-Jack sentiments with a rapid ramp-up to runaway train rhythms. For one thing, Bulat's brother Bobby's urgent, jittery, even martial drum work is thoroughly contemporary and continually prods Heart's songs into scrambling motion. It's a mistake to read Bulat's songs as pre-Raphaelite pictorials or confessional Lilith Fair bait, though. (Then again, you could count those oxymoronic individuals on two hands.) Did I mention that while she plays most of the instruments on her record, Bulat favors the humble autoharp, clutching it to her chest like a Victorian nursemaid with an infant? It probably goes without saying that Bulat's flush-with-feeling lyrics aren't going to appeal to the more cynical consumers of singer-songwriter fare. And it seems like she's sharing her secret with you and you alone. "Oh oh oh, I've done myself in," she laments on "Sugar and Spice", a song from new album, Heart of My Own, that traces the self-obliterating nature of love. How could I be tDmhe last to knowGmA When they told me where the fool had FgoneC CI was but the yoAungest onCeDm DmUp there on the hillFs they'Are climbingF onCDm DmYou went up with an oGmpen heaBrt When they found you it was all bFut coCld CThose hounds they sAingC so lDmow DmUp there on the hFills tAhey're cFlimbinCg onA A. Graceful and incandescent, confident but approachable, her alto's the aural equivalent of the perfect party host who makes every guest not only welcome, but certain they're the most important person in the room. She sounds out of breath on this oneħ If Only You – upbeat.But while Bulat's versatility's a selling point, it's her rare, extraordinary voice that makes her a fresh find in the notoriously musty folk-pop bin. ![]() Lots of other instrumentation.ġ Go On – driving, acoustic guitar blossoms into bigger ensembleģ Sugar and Spice – three-finger picking guitar, slow, balladĤ Gold Rush – features autoharp, more energy than most tracksĥ Heart of My Own – cello backup and solosĦ Sparrow – ukulele. ![]() ![]() Basia plays autoharp, guitar, piano, organ, pianoette, banjo, ukelele, and bass. Indie folk ballads featuring autoharp, introspective lyrics and solo vocals. Sophomore album of Canadian singer-songwriter Basia Bulat inspired by her stay in Dawson City, Yukon. Basia Bulat, “Heart of My Own” (Rough Trade, 2010)
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