[.ca] Into White

From Amazon.com:
For a CD with a lot of soft songs on it--"Scarborough Fair," "Over the Rainbow," "You Are My Sunshine"--Into White sends a loud message, that being: when you're as important an artist as Carly Simon, you can pretty much sing what you want, which accounts for this disc's genre confusion. Part kids' record, part under-the-covers project, Into White feels a little like it went for a toss in the Simon residence's salad spinner; "Oh! Susanna," which has rarely sounded sweeter, is followed by a beautiful reading of the Beatles' poetic "Blackbird," which segues into a family sing-along to ex-husband James Taylor's classic "You Can Close Your Eyes" (son and daughter Ben and Sally Taylor pitch in on harmonies). Deciding whether to play it on the way to morning kindergarten or during brunch for your mellow sweetheart, then, can be brutal. But the choice to buy it or bypass it shouldn't be. Simon, vocally sure-footed as ever, wicks the warmth out of every last track and directs it with pinpoint precision to her listeners--nobody does music as comfort food better. Perhaps nobody knows how to pluck from her own catalog better, either: closing this artful jumble of a late-career disc is the abominably under-appreciated but gorgeous "Love of My Life," from the largely forgotten 1992 film This is My Life. --Tammy La Gorce

A family affair album with a few magical moments....:
Singer-songwriter Carly Simon has generally put her artistic needs ahead of commercial ones even when it means butting heads with her record label. She agreed to last year's standards set "Moonlight Serenade", a formulaic effort, which alienated most of music critics and part of her fans. It sold well, though, so Sony asked for another. But this time Carly is flexing her creative muscles, and what began as a conceptual album of lullabies has evolved into something more ambitious that she calls "lulling". All right, so Simon's not the best saleswoman. "Lulling" implies narcoleptic, but "Into White", which takes its title from old boyfriend Cat Stevens' oldie, is much too striking to saddle with such a term. Instead, "Into White", a broad collection of folk and pop tunes, standards and two originals like the aptly-named "Quiet Evenin'", is a close cousin to her 1971 LP "Anticipation" and is notable for its stripped to the essence thematic approach. The arrangements favor simple acoustic instrumentation and Carly's closely-miked, perfectly enunciated vocals, this time thankfully. Rather than take the easy route with familiar songs such as "Scarborough Fair" or the "Black Orpheus" theme, "Manha de Carnaval", Carly finds the truth within. The organic effect is akin to casually strolling in a beautiful garden with a master storyteller as she warmly leans into your ear, telling comforting tales of long ago. Plus, her gorgeous redo of ex-husband James Taylor's "You Can Close Your Eyes", sung with their children Ben and Sally, may well break your heart (H.Cohen).

A strong and emotional collection of lullabies for grown-ups:
On her new album "Into White", Carly Simon once again demonstrates the power of subtlety. The fourteen songs included here could be best summed up by track number five, called "Quiet Evening"; this is soothing music, the kind that you can actually sit down and listen to, taking a break from everyday life's chaos. Carly set out to make an album aimed at the heart, a collection of folk songs and lullabies for grown-ups, and she has certainly succeeded. Her voice has lost none of its flexibility and is still as expressive as ever; even when she's simply humming a melody, as on "Manha De Carnaval", she manages to touch you deeply. The production (which Carly handled herself) is exquisitely understated, allowing the singer and the songs to shine without retorting to overblown effects or studio tricks. There are plenty of highlights on this album, such as "Oh Susanna", "You are my sunshine", "Scarborough fair", "Quiet evening" and Carly's re-recorded versions of two of her earlier songs ("Devoted to you" and "Love of my life", both of which gain a whole new meaning by being included on this album). The pièce de résistance, however, has to be "You can close your eyes", written by Carly's first husband James Taylor, which Carly performs here with their two grown-up children harmonizing; the song works on so many levels, and always leaves a lump in my throat every time I hear it. The packaging is very nice as well - gorgeous pictures, extensive liner notes written by Carly herself to explain or comment each of her selections. The album itself entered the Billboard charts in the top 15, which is a testimony to Carly's enduring popularity with her ever-loyal fanbase. "Into White" may not have the biting edge of some of Carly's own outstanding original albums, but it is a strong and emotional reminder of why her voice has moved so many souls ever since the early seventies.

• Into White
• Oh! Susanna
• Blackbird
• You Can Close Your Eyes (Carly Simon,Ben Taylor & Sally Taylor)
• Quiet Evenin'
• Manha De Carnaval (Theme from "Black Orpheus")
• Jamaica Farewell
• You Are My Sunshine
• Devoted To You / All I Have To Do Is Dream
• Scarborough Fair
• I Gave My Love A Cherry (The Riddle Song)
• Over The Rainbow
• Love Of My Life
• I'll Just Remember You