Erica Wexler:
Sunlit Night:
Folly Music:
Out Now:
7.5/10
Daughter of playwright Norman Wexler, muse of revered pop-artist Roy Lichtenstein, partner of quintessential lyricist and songwriter Andy Partridge and a sufferer of ME, Erica Wexler is never far from artistic adventures and occasional challenges. Sunlit Night, an album in the making since 2005, is a personal, intimate collection of stories no doubt influenced by the events that have shaped her last few decades.
Without even reading the biog and blurbs, I can hear Judy Collins, Jane Siberry, Joni Mitchell, Sally Oldfield, Liz Fraser, Kate Bush, Fiona Apple and Sarah McLaughlin in the mix - and that's just in the first ten minutes. And there's nothing wrong with that, of course. You'd expect some crossover by a singer whose heard and seen a fair bit in her life and to prove I'm not bonkers, I spy the names Mitchell and Collins in her notes. That's alright then - I'm clearly not mad.
Thankfully, little of Sunset Night is pastiche or parody with Wexler's own lyrical bent leaning towards show ballads, often armed with an expressive voice that intones a straight English (rather than American) accent. For the most part musically, it's reminiscent of a long tall beverage in one hand and a warm spring evening. Performed with crack musicians and produced by collaborator Art Labriola and partner Partridge, there is much to commend.
Wildflowers and My Silent Star represent the more 'epic' of Erica's oeuvre, while the gentle pulse of the very pretty Timelessly and the Partridge-penned I Unbecome serve as the album's centrepieces. The former reminds me of Cocteau Twins circa Victorialand while the latter contains a typically lip-trembling Partridge couplet, "I'm now a stumbler, where once I'd skip and run".
Darling Come In From The Storm wouldn't sound amiss on Paul Buchanan's last album - lilting piano and the simplest of songs, it's an atmospheric little number that tells a story with its title alone. The rest of the album swings from string-laden balladry (Love Goes Round) to folksy story-telling (A Life Lived) via a few songs that fall a little short.
Overall, Erica Wexler has crafted a sweet and personable album that is a labour of love and therefore, a cut above the rest of what the singer-songwriter stable typically has to offer. Seek it out here
Sunlit Night:
Folly Music:
Out Now:
7.5/10
Without even reading the biog and blurbs, I can hear Judy Collins, Jane Siberry, Joni Mitchell, Sally Oldfield, Liz Fraser, Kate Bush, Fiona Apple and Sarah McLaughlin in the mix - and that's just in the first ten minutes. And there's nothing wrong with that, of course. You'd expect some crossover by a singer whose heard and seen a fair bit in her life and to prove I'm not bonkers, I spy the names Mitchell and Collins in her notes. That's alright then - I'm clearly not mad.
Thankfully, little of Sunset Night is pastiche or parody with Wexler's own lyrical bent leaning towards show ballads, often armed with an expressive voice that intones a straight English (rather than American) accent. For the most part musically, it's reminiscent of a long tall beverage in one hand and a warm spring evening. Performed with crack musicians and produced by collaborator Art Labriola and partner Partridge, there is much to commend.
Wildflowers and My Silent Star represent the more 'epic' of Erica's oeuvre, while the gentle pulse of the very pretty Timelessly and the Partridge-penned I Unbecome serve as the album's centrepieces. The former reminds me of Cocteau Twins circa Victorialand while the latter contains a typically lip-trembling Partridge couplet, "I'm now a stumbler, where once I'd skip and run".
Darling Come In From The Storm wouldn't sound amiss on Paul Buchanan's last album - lilting piano and the simplest of songs, it's an atmospheric little number that tells a story with its title alone. The rest of the album swings from string-laden balladry (Love Goes Round) to folksy story-telling (A Life Lived) via a few songs that fall a little short.
Overall, Erica Wexler has crafted a sweet and personable album that is a labour of love and therefore, a cut above the rest of what the singer-songwriter stable typically has to offer. Seek it out here