Album Review: Suzanne Jarvie - mother's day

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Suzanne Jarvie has aimed articulately high with her new album and wrapped a posse of deeply constructed songs in a sweet coated package.. Clear vocals and a simple sound belie a complex inner as mother’s day takes time to settle. From slow burner to intelligent keeper, rich pickings await an open minded approach.


This is the third full length album from the Toronto-based Jarvie. Spiral Road opened many doors with a well-received unveiling in 2014 followed by 2019’s In the Clear. Life may well have impeded more output along the way but things are back on track in 2026. 


Across eight original tracks and a borrowed ninth, themes of loss, love, family and gender are explored and elegantly put into song. Personal musings are applied to the bulk with the outlier being ‘Polonium’ inspired by the Litvinenko poisoning. Whether solo on piano or with added strings, Jarvie applies a sophisticated touch making her voice heard.


The album benefits from a hard hitting start with the intro to strong opener ‘Honeycomb’ impactfully landing This piano-led piece deals with the concept of home and is a marker for other tracks to follow. The aforementioned’Polonium’ is the most ear catching part of the album as Jarvie curiously enacts a meditative chant style in the vocals. 


Two further tracks complete the opening quartet with the impressive‘Caterpillar’ applying a familiar tune on piano effectively. ‘40%’ adds layers of strings while addressing the issue of drinking. 


Title track ‘mother’s day’ holds court in the pivotal running order spot and introduces an abstract element to the theme. This leads into ‘Charity’ the first of the final quartet and up there with the opener in possessing an appealing melody.


‘Nicole’ is an emotionally constructed song to a deceased lover and stimulates the interactive listening approach, while the words of David Corley are sung in ‘Lifeline’ to a guitar accompaniment sitting neatly alongside the piano input. Jarvie may bring a classical element to some of her songs but the album finale ‘temporary emissary’ is pure theatrical and a striking way to finish.


Suzanne Jarvie comes across as a songwriter on a mission. mother’s day is a record with a profound identity and creates a space to peer into a songwriter’s mind. Aligning with the channels requires an attentive mind and ears but the path is smoothed through applied  clarity and a mature sound succinctly sparse for impression. There are healing qualities to this gracefully curated album that welcomes Suzanne Jarvie back to the recording fold. 


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