Is jazz singer Melody Gardot a modern hippie? Well, she describes herself as a “citizen of the world”, believes in music as therapy for pain and strikes a sultry pose on the cover of The Absence. Maybe? Musically, Gardot is fairly eclectic in her songwriting and delivery – never quite repeating the formula from song to song – a quality to be admired.
Domesticity seems diametrically opposed to the rock n’ roll lifestyle. So what happens when a singer-songwriter begins a family in earnest and then determines that recording music is still very much on the agenda? Well, Meghan Cary is a prime example. From 1998 to 2004, Cary released three well-received albums before apparently closing the door on her musical career to become the devoted mother. Of course, it’s never easy to ignore the siren call of music and Building This House represents Cary’s attempt to balance these two important sides of her life.
In this instance, it does not hurt that her husband is a working musician – multi instrumentalist Peter Farrell – and that a home studio was made available for Cary to record this, her fourth album, in-between her domestic chores. The result is Building This House – a full album consisting of ten songs that reflect Cary’s journey which compasses past tragedy and current bliss.
As one might expect, the music on Building This House, is pretty much laid back and casual, relying heavily on folk and jazz constructs to convey Cary’s thoughtful ruminations on life and love. The production values are slick and smooth (and sometimes sterile though) but overall there is a homespun quality about the finished work that is easy to feel comfortable with.
Definite highlights include the quirky countrified title track, thoroughly poignant Through Walking and the rollicking Live! Not much an edge to the general proceedings but that is to be expected considering the circumstances surrounding the genesis of Building This House. What you see is what you get, more or less.
THE PUPPINI SISTERS Christmas With The Puppini Sisters
Amongst the wilderness, which is what I call my iTunes music library, I have The Puppini Sisters – three fine, dandy ladies going by the names of Marcella Puppini, Stephanie O’Brien and Kate Mullins – jazzing up Wuthering Heights, Crazy In Love and Walk Like An Egyptian, covers of originals by Kate Bush, Beyonce and The Bangles respectively. And so yes, you may have gotten the drift – the Sisters primarily do and release covers, done up in 1940s-style of acappella and jazz.
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