album review: molly sweeney, gold rings and fur pelts
Molly Sweeney is part of the awesome female Indie Folk singer-songwriter scene that’s been trickling out of Canada in the past decade. Spearheaded by Arcade Fire’s Régine Chassagne and Amy Millan of Stars and Broken Social Scene, Molly Sweeney fits somewhere in the middle.
The single most interesting aspect of her recent album Gold Rings and Fur Pelts is Sweeney’s voice. Each of the nine songs on the album is shaped by the depth and richness of her folky voice. My favorite song on the album, “Not Faithfull”, does a good job of accurately demonstrating what I’m talking about here. Her voice adds something unique and interesting to these otherwise bland coffee shop girl songs.
As much as I like her voice and am intrigued by it, I also totally hate it at certain points. I don’t mean to belittle Molly Sweeney’s talent or that of her many collaborators, but I’ve got to be honest how I feel about Gold Rings. Personally, I have a hard time writing anything too critical because I know how much hard work goes into a creative endeavor and I truly can hear technical talent on this album. That being said, there’s something that sounds off to me for the majority of Gold Rings. Songs like “Florida” and “Full Moon” left a lot to be desired – vaguely emotional and acoustic-driven songs of nostalgic longing just don’t do it for me. However, what saves these songs from being completely boring is the range of Sweeney’s voice. At several points during these songs and especially on “Eros and Pysche”, I was thinking to myself that she’s got to be a classically trained singer.
Another reason the album doesn’t sit quite right with me is the arrangements of most of the songs. Take title track “Gold Rings and Fur Pelts”: the vaguely Argentine tango back beat progresses unexpectedly as Sweeney’s voice bridges the polar opposite aspects of the rhythm. Sure, it’s interesting, but not good. Sweeney even croons for a full thirty seconds and sings in French for parts of the song, which adds something else, but the strange progression of the song truly leaves me with a bitter taste in my mouth. Or ear?
I really dislike writing negative reviews and think there is some merit in Gold Rings and Fur Pelts. I just don’t know exactly where that is. I kept thinking the more I listened to the album, the more I’d see the light to how good it is. In all seriousness, that’s how I absorb most music – HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT then there’s some moment when I suddenly realize I have been a complete idiot and that the person or band is actually awesome. Well, the chance for that moment has come and gone, and this is what’s left.
Gold Rings and Fur Pelts is out now through Syren Songs.
