'Mother Songs,' 2010: The Real Thing
The best parts of Mother Songs, this year's new album from singer-songwriter Heidi Howes, are the genuine ones.
A perfection trend is rampant in mainstream music production, and I'm talking mostly about auto-tune effects that get a singer's voice right on pitch, or quantization, which provides exact alignment for musical beats. It is refreshing to hear the authenticity on Mother Songs.
The album's general instrumentation and vocal harmonies are more produced than the straight-on vocal melody and primary guitar. And it's when these less-produced parts of Mother Songs are highlighted that the album really shines.
Take for instance the easy, brushy country waltz, Goodbye. The vocals are simple and complement a well-balanced accompaniment. The song itself has effective breaks for the ear and short musical solos that allow for pleasant variety. One almost gets the feeling of a session band, or members of a song circle, sitting around and casually sharing music with one other.
As If You Were Mine is a soft, quiet song that lets Howes's voice come through. The song builds gradually and features an understated, twangy guitar solo.
Same with the stripped-down and melancholy Leaving So Soon, Sister Song, and the a cappella songs Lullabye For Luka and Bring Me Down. In these four pieces, the music's gift to the listener is the voice of Howes, which comes through strong and genuine.
Another treasure on the album is Invisible American, credited to former Chequamegon Bay musician Greg Hodapp, which tells a story of a forgotten veteran from a U.S. war making his way through a troubled life. The presentation is effective and crisp.
Howes pulls in Chequamegon Bay flute player Laughing Fox for the song Oh Manitou, again, a story-based song that passes along a strong, pleading, message to the listener.
Lower down on my list are the album's opening song, Waiting, and others such as The Swing and Have Ye But Faith.
Waiting is jumpy and perky, with a simple strumming pattern reminiscent of Galileo by the Indigo Girls, until other instrumentation and resolved harmony comes through. The song's chorus and bridge could very well have been inspired by the Richard Shindell, Dar Williams, and Lucy Kaplansky song, Cold Missouri Waters, on the musicians' short-lived trio release, Cry Cry Cry.
Strings “swing” the listener through a waltzy ballad on the well-intentioned second track, The Swing, but the instrumentation seemed a bit heavy and distracting.
Finally, having seen Howes perform the folky country gospel Have Ye But Faith live, I felt the treatment of the song an injustice to her, especially the repetitive hand claps.
Overall, the authenticity Howes shares with listeners of Mother Songs is rare in this era of manufactured perfection. We are fortunate in the Chequamegon Bay area to have musicians as gifted as Howes putting themselves “out there” and willing to share their talents with the rest of us.
Find out more about Howes, and order Mother Songs, at heidihowes.com.
Howes performs tonight, Fri., Oct. 29 at the Second Street Bistro from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.