Review: Jenn Grant’s Echoes

February 9, 2009

Review: Jenn Grant’s Echoes

photo of Jenn Grant @ The Grapes, Sheffield, 12 June 08, courtesy of Marie.

Last week, Jenn Grant released her second full-length album “Echoes“. As was the case with her previous album, the magnificent “Orchestra for the Moon“, Grant’s vocals are absolutely stunning but, with Echoes, the songs are more personal and introspective. The instrumentation remains lush but, overall, it is not as joyous as we heard previously. Grant has said that this is a breakup record, and the album certainly charts an emotional journey without ever becoming cloying or pitiful. Her poignant lyrics are delivered with grace as she allows her voice to provide listeners with some insight into her emotional state. The album is filled with lovely harmonizing (see especially ‘Parachutes’ and the sprightly ‘(I’ve Got) The Two of You’) and the backing music adds subtle texture – I am particularly fond of the bass clarinet and strings which appear throughout the record – while letting her vocals shine.

The East Coast has produced many great singer-songwriters in the recent past and, with ‘Echoes’, Grant proves that she is among the best.

Jenn Grant is going to be all over the place in the next month an a bit with dates in Ontario, the Maritimes, the US and across the pond (but sadly not in Kingston this time around) so be sure to check her out live if you can. Full dates at her myspace.

02.11.09 – Charlottetown, PEI – The Mack
02.12.09 – Toronto, ON – The Mod Club (Early show!)
02.13.09 – Montreal, QC – The Green Mile w/ Mark Berube
02.14.09 – Wakefield, QC – Blacksheep Inn
02.15.09 – Halifax, NS – Rebecca Cohn Theatre
02.18.09 – Sheffield, UK – The Grapes
02.21.09 – Newcastle, UK – Studio in Live Theatre
02.25.09 – London, UK – The Macbeth
02.27.09 – Brighton, UK – TBA
03.14.09 – Toronto ON – CMW, The Reverb w/Melissa McClelland, Amelia Curran, Wendy McNeill and Moriarty
03.19.09 – Austin TX – SXSW, Velveeta Room, Thursday – Six Shooter Records showcase

Here are two tracks off the album for your listening pleasure:

* Heartbreaker
* Blue Mountains

Bonus Song
* Fireflies (live at the Artel, Kingston, 13 Sept 2007- more songs from that set can be found here).

You can pick up the wonderful Echoes from Six Shooter (although it does not seem to be posted in their store quite yet) or digitally through Zunior.

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