Lindsay Fuller has a new record out :-)

Those of you who read my review of The Last Light I See know that I'm a true believer.  I've been containing my excitement about the new record You, Anniversary.  You can check out tracks @ http://www.lindsayfuller.com/home/ or just go buy it on i-tunes or amazon.  There is a little more fuzz on this one, and more diverse arrangements.  Mainly though, the listener is treated to an intimate recording of one of the finest voices of our time.  Ms Fuller continues her love affair with the English language, poetry - and the aching humanity of love, death, gods, bodies and blood.  A special treat is the title track - a duet with Amy Ray, which gives me the chills every single time.

Fun bonus treat - from the Tractor Tavern in Seattle

Another duet

Go see Lindsay play.  Now.

Lindsay Fuller: The Last Light I See

“The good lord he giveth, and then walks away”

I was lucky enough to catch a fine set by Lindsay Fuller at Conor Byrne last Saturday.  She was accompanied by Jeff Fielder, on dobro and nylon string guitar, and Rebecca Young on bass.  I scored a CD, Fuller’s 6th – The Last Light I See, and I’m listening to it now.

Fuller manages to combine literacy with story telling in a way that avoids burying the songs in “clever.”  The lyrics are just better than yours - sorry.  They have the difficult-to-achieve quality of being readable as poetry, without feeling heavy-handed or verbose.  It takes an intrepid writer to take on Leonard Peltier’s incarceration (Big White Lie), to find a good rhyme for “Prometheus” (East Grand Exit), and to reference The Scarlet Letter (Trigger Happy).  I am in awe of the integration between intelligence and song-craft.

How does she do it?  It’s all in the delivery.  Lindsay Fuller fulfills the promise of the lyrics, in a voice that already feels classic to me.  There are hints of Lucinda Williams without the Texas, or Gillian Welch without the California, but really her voice is her own.  She is intense, hurt, lonesome, angry, hungry, but - most importantly - she is believable. 

The mood of the whole disc might be summed up by the quote above. 

“The good lord he giveth and then walks away.”  Beauty and love - the gifts of the gods perhaps - are here, but temporary.  Blood and bone, the limitations of a hurting human body are here to stay.  When you need them, these songs express the fight to survive, and the longing for joy inherent in our condition.

This record will be in heavy rotation here at the Farfetcher house.

About the players:

Along with Young and Fielder, Fuller is joined by Mark Pickerel on drums and Jason Staczek on keys.  Phil Peterson and Aubrea Alford provide cello, viola, and violin.  With production by Matt Brown and Jeff Fielder and a lush mix from Johnny Sangster, the disc has no fluff.  It is all straightforward folk rock and uncluttered arrangements.  Lindsay’s voice is front and center, and the focus is on the songs.

Mark Pickerel brings solidity and energy to the songs, whilst maintaining an orchestral approach.   His big low voice can be heard on tracks 3,5 and 6 of The Last Light I See.

Rebecca Young displays equal facility with electric or upright bass, and a no-nonsense style – you get the right note, at the right time.

Jeff Fielder is now clearly a first call session musician and accompanist here in Seattle.  His melodic approach, and multi-instrumental fluency complement Fuller’s voice, and add an emotional depth and color.

Jason Staczek is a composer and plays piano, Hammond organ and accordion.  I’m sure 7 years making records as owner of Chroma sound didn’t hurt his musicality, or his sense for space, both of which come through on the record.

Phil Peterson (House of Breaking Glass studio) I’m guessing is also the arranger for the string parts.  Together with Aubrea Alford on violin he provides a cinematic, wind-sweeping-over-the-plains depth.

Links:

http://www.lindsayfuller.com/home/

http://www.myspace.com/goodcountrypeople

Lindsay Fuller, The Holyfelds, The Starlings @ Conor Byrne

Last night Anne and I went down to Ballard to the old familiar Conor Byrne Pub.  I had a very pleasant surprise, and fell in love with the opening band – Lindsay Fuller.  I’ll blog a review of her new album very soon.

We were there to see the Starlings play.  Moe and Aimee (bass and drums, harmonica and vocals) are back from their bicycle tour and so it was a chance to see the starters in the game.  They sounded great, and it was a fun time.  The new CD will soon be out and you can check it out your own selves.  Highlights were Fallen Days (For the one on the run) and Apple Tree.  Anne and I had no choice but to shake a tail feather.

OK, so back to Lindsay Fuller.  The usual Conor Byrne racket made it hard to hear unless you were up front, and the usual no-one cares unless you are “famous” factor meant that a lot of people missed seeing two of Seattle’s finest musicians backing her up – Jeff Fielder on dobro and nylon string guitar, and Rebecca Young on electric bass.  Jeff also sang some well-blended background vocals.

There were obviously some people in the know, given the cluster-fuck of cameras and recorders.  Even with this indicator for the more astute beer drinkers, that strange semi-circular realm of death which no living person should enter still glared ominously at the crowd from just in front of the monitors.  I’ll admit Lindsay has been described as “intense” (thanks Mike), and perhaps that is why nobody wanted to get up there, or maybe like me they were trying to get in the cone of sound from the PA just to hear the music.  The music was great.

In the middle was The Holyfelds who brought some danceable energy and searing harmonies to the stage.  They also brought an autoharp, which I must admit gives me the heebie jeebies, however given the aforementioned hullabaloo I couldn’t really hear it, or the dobro for that matter.  Ahhh bad sound, why do you haunt me?

http://www.lindsayfuller.com/home/

http://www.myspace.com/goodcountrypeople

Help me out with a link for the Holyfelds will ya?