[.ca] Walking

Criminally underappreciated!:
Totally brilliant album...I don't even know where to start! I think this is the album where she has really discovered the power of her own voice. The vocals are intricately and yet densely layered, and she displays an amazing range of how she uses her voice, whether painfully high and operatic or soft spoken. She has a really original voice also, joining a long list of other contemporary singers such as kate bush, bjork, natalie merchant...a voice that is almost instantly recognizable. Her music on this album is probably the most complex of her career, especially the songs "Lena is a White Table" and "The White Tent the Raft," which are the strongest songs on the album and consequently of the best of her career. "The White Tent the Raft" and "Bird in the Gravel" are the most epic-length compositions she has ever done, which leaves her plenty of room to create some amazingly dense landscapes of music. The album also is more conceptual than other releases, because I get the feeling the tracks are arranged in their order to elude to a kind of musical journey. Her music is extremely difficult to pigeonhole, which is good for her I think, because I think it makes her able to leap from different genres without flinching an inch. She has maintained an impressive talent for some 20 years now, and her albums have always had something distinctively different to offer, as they are generally quite different from each other. I still stand by my feeling that this is Jane Siberry at her peak, however I also think that "No Borders Here" and "Bound by the Beauty" are also quite impressive releases, but are quite different musical experiments than "The Walking." I have always loved Jane Siberry's musical perspective. Her music has a poetic edge that is painfully missing from most contemporary music these days. A lot of critics call her "quirky," which I think really means that they don't understand her music, and feel they have to qualify her sound in a way that is simple to understand, even if her music is far more complex than that. Jane Siberry is a painfully underappreciated songwriter and musician, however I think her name comes up in certain circles more often now, because I think a lot of modern songwriters are familiar with her music, and list her as one of their influences. Her music certainly warrants that kind of appreciation, as she is one of the most original voices that has come to light in the past 2 decades.

Difficult, Obscure, Complex - Her Masterpiece:
I've been procrastinating writing a critique of The Walking because the task is too much like work. And work, unless you happen to be the skipper of a chartered sailboat, ain't fun. I also considered describing the CD as pioneering, ingenious and elusive. The albums of artists such as Suzanne Vega, Kate Bush and Laurie Anderson also meet the same criteria, but none sound at all like The Walking. After listening to Jane for years, the best description is that The Walking is a collection of "mini-suites." So what the heck is a "mini-suite"? Well, it's a musical composition from four to eleven minutes long with several changes in melody and tempo; and has a nonstandard verse-chorus-verse structure. Her compositions resemble different songs woven together into one "suite." The Walking opens with the 9-minute epic titled 'The White Tent The Raft.' The composition begins with two lovely and melodic verses, moves through 5 "clearings," each time returning to a powerful rhythm driven chorus. Each "clearing" is followed by a dissonant "transparent," leading back to original melody. The composition ends with Jane whispering "The white tent, the raft and one red leaf for my love - for your love." Musicians might describe 'The White Tent The Raft' as an exercise in dissonance and resolution. The song is both intellectually challenging and emotionally spellbinding. 'Goodbye' is a musical metaphor relating Jane's attempt to dine in a restaurant, and leaving her loved one. Her sobbing plea for a table "just for one" is heartbreaking. Cut 4 (Ingrid and The Footman) is a delightful "fun" song with a silly "Yahdee Yahdee" chorus. The title song (The Walking and Constantly) is a melodic and rhythm driven composition of emotional loss. In summary, The Walking is Jane Siberry's most difficult, obscure and complex album. Which means that it is also her Masterpiece.

Learn about Siberry starting at ground level:
Jane Siberry has made a name for herself, in her own fashion, in the alternative folk/pop world and beyond. But for those listeners who came to know and appreciate her music and personae in the last ten years or so, The Walking is well worth reaching back thirteen years for. I first heard the tracks on this CD during a live performance in a small college auditorium that was less than half full. Siberry spoke very little during the show, and much of it was more like performance art than a concert. It moved me more than any performance ever has, though I never could say why. I think When I was a Boy and Bound By the Beauty are her best albums in terms of polish, discipline, and accessibility. But The Walking offers listeners a journey through music and imagery that is unparalleled in scope and strength. Don't miss this trip!

One of the greatest "alternative" albums of all time:
This is Jane Sibery's best album. The songs are longer and more complex than on her other CD's. They run in the 5 to 12 minute range. The songs represent the best of the "alternative" rock movement. They take the new wave/punk sound and mix it with a psychodelic sound. This and Sinead O'Connor's "The Lion and the Cobra" are along the same lines, except O'Connor's CD is more flashy while Sibery's CD is more laid back. These two represented the real potential of alternative music. Sibery's earlier CD's were more folksy. Her later CD's followed this same style, but weren't as complex. Then she started experimenting with all kinds of styles, including country.

Jane's Masterpiece - Difficult, Obscure and Complex:
I've been procrastinating writing a critique of The Walking because the task is too much like work. And work, unless you happen to be the skipper of a chartered sailboat, ain't fun. I also considered describing the CD as pioneering, ingenious and elusive. The albums of artists such as Suzanne Vega, Kate Bush and Laurie Anderson also meet the same criteria, but none sound at all like The Walking. After listening to Jane for years, the best description is that The Walking is a collection of "mini-suites." So what the heck is a "mini-suite"? Well, it's a musical composition from four to eleven minutes long with several changes in melody and tempo; and has a nonstandard verse-chorus-verse structure. Her compositions resemble different songs woven together into one "suite." The Walking opens with the 9-minute epic titled 'The White Tent The Raft.' The composition begins with two lovely and melodic verses, moves through 5 "clearings," each time returning to a powerful rhythm driven chorus. Each "clearing" is followed by a dissonant "transparent," leading back to the original melody. The composition ends with Jane whispering "The white tent, the raft and one red leaf for my love - for your love." Musicians might describe 'The White Tent The Raft' as an exercise in dissonance and resolution. The song is both intellectually challenging and emotionally spellbinding. 'Goodbye' is a musical metaphor relating Jane's attempt to dine in a restaurant, and leaving her loved one. Her sobbing plea for a table "just for one" is heartbreaking. Cut 4 (Ingrid and The Footman) is a delightful "fun" song with a silly "Yahdee Yahdee" chorus. The title song (The Walking and Constantly) is a melodic and rhythm driven composition of emotional loss. In summary, The Walking is Jane Siberry's most difficult, obscure and complex album. Which means that it is also her Masterpiece.

• White Tent the Raft
• Red High Heels
• Goodbye
• Ingrid and the Footman
• Lena Is a White Table
• Walking (And Constantly)
• Lobby
• Bird in the Gravel