Perhaps one feature of today’s music model where control is
devolved by default to artist level is the
trend for a more experimental approach and a tendency to refrain from being
boxed into convention. Frequently artists fuse particular styles leading to an
increased use of the word ‘tinged’ when it comes to music description. While
the first sentence can be wholly applied to the new album from Canadian
singer-songwriter Sarah Jane Scouten, the fused approach is generally bypassed
in the assembling of twelve highly distinctive tracks which form WHEN THE BLOOM
FALLS FROM THE ROSE. The result is a collection of exceptionally infectious and
independent tunes spanning the genre sounds of country, folk, rockabilly, pop
and even a slice of old time rag.
Indeed Sarah Jane Scouten is a heaven sent dream for a
contemporary folk festival where audiences are more than open to a diverse
range of styles. This is further made viable by the high calibre of music that
she makes, whether through her own writing or an acute perception to select the
compositions of others. On this new record, there is a ten-two split between
original and cover material with the latter pair falling clearly into folk
music territory via their historical storytelling existence.
‘Britannia Mine’
is an impassioned minimalist song written by Paddy Graber, a person directly
involved in a bitter industrial dispute in the western Canadian province of
British Columbia, which inspired the composition. The other folk song moves slightly
east in its origin to Alberta with ‘Where
the Ghost River Flows’ being a haunting rural tale penned by Jasper Joe
Adams. Sarah Jane’s own dip into this genre style comes in the form of the
uplifting folk rock title track ‘When the
Bloom Falls From the Rose’, the melting vocals of ‘Rosehips for Scurvy’ and the curiously titled ‘Poland’. The latter focusses on the frequently used theme of love
with the title taken from the line ‘if you were the king of Poland I’d be the
consort of the damned’.
Having seen Sarah Jane live when she toured the UK in a low-key
capacity a couple of years ago, her extraordinary ability to impart a classic
country song can be 100% certified. This side of her multi-appeal shines
brightly on the record with the opening track ‘Acre of Shells’ being a prime candidate for the album’s golden
moment. Pedal steel, a waltz-like feel and imaginative writing create an
excellent love song, blossoming with the chorus line ‘how could I ever love
somebody else, in an acre of shells you’ll find just one pearl’. The superb ‘Every Song I Sing’ and the alluring
narrative piece ‘Paul’ are other key
components where Sarah Jane plays the country card with great skill.
The eclectic nature of this album is set to escalate further
when we get to the raucous rockabilly number ‘Bang Bang’. This track ratchets up the pace of the proceedings in the
number two slot on the running order with an enormous jolt of energy. This has
also been selected as one of the promotional songs, which while being a
sensible choice, is not necessarily representative of the general tone. Neither
is the old time feel to ‘Coup de Ville
Rag’, but like the other song in this paragraph, its isolationist nature
enhances the broad feel to the album and boosts its overall appeal. Just when
you feel this record could not get any further diverse within its pre-defined
boundaries, it takes you in a dreamy pop direction with ‘Man in Love’; another fine song that could be shortlisted for the
standout moment. The album closer is probably the toughest track to define, but
the serene sounding ‘Crack in Your Windshield’
is another example of Sarah Jane’s smart song writing and ensures the record
ends on a positive note in its attempt
to seal the deal with the listener.