B l u e P a r a d e - A S a r a h S l e a n F a n s i t e
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By Andy Stevens
When one is named Sarah and one is Canadian and one is a solo musician, one would do well to steer a bit shy of that other Sarah--namely McLachlan--lest one raise some questioning eyebrows.
Not to mention that one's own work might get lost in the confusion. But I am being smug, am I not? Because, truth be told, Sarah Slean, while similar to McLachlan in many ways, has crafted herself a fine little disc here, one well-worth immersing yourself in as I have done for the past couple of months (and thanks once again, to the gentleman--Emm Gryner's very own clarion--who introduced me to this).
Like many of today's Lilith faeries--those sirens that are finally being given their day in the pop music spotlight--Slean weaves and layers dense stories, thick with bittersweet somewhat-fanciful stories, and multi-influenced. Amidst Slean's eight songs, we are afforded forays into blues, pop, jazz, folk, trip-hop, all held together by her mannered vocals, all slippy-slidey and siren sweet.
The layers are deep here, and Slean never allows her songs to become muddied, as is so common in independent releases. Slean's piano plays a lead role in all of these tracks and it's always nice to hear this woven into pop. If Slean a little too closely recalls McLachlan's earlier work, it's not for lack of talent. Indeed, she is a top-notch singer, pianist and songcrafter, one who will no doubt find her niche in today's female pop market.
Fans of all things Lilith, don't miss this one, because once Slean gets her inevitable major-label deal, this one will be the much-sought-after "earlier work."
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