AWmusic

Huntsville, Ontario’s Ruth Cassie has released her solo album, Ivan Blackbird’s Story, after spending years as a multi-instrumentalist/ keyboardist/back-up vocalist for Hawskley Workman. It is often the case that these types of solo albums (i.e. one released by an artist who has been mostly a supporting artist) are a hit or miss thing, at best they are often uneven contributions to the musical landscape so it was with trepidation that I decided to review Cassie’s release. I was very interested in this album because I am a Hawskley Workman fan and have often admired her contributions and so hoped this would buck the odds. Sadly, for me, I found it uneven with some really outstanding tracks and some that really left me cold.

The biggest problem that affected my enjoyment of Cassie’s music is the recording itself. On many of the songs her voice takes on an unattractive shrillness on the high notes, I’m not sure she has the range and confidence to reach some of those at the very top of her register. At times it did sound like she was straining and forcing the note rather than letting it pop out. The other problem is that her esses, her pronunciation of the letter “S”, has a slight whistling that gets very pronounced when there are a few strung together or at the end of a word. In some songs this was hardly noticeable and other times I had a hard time not turning it off. The vocals were also too high for me in the mix and often were featured too predominantly and at the cost of the pretty melodies. I love a good voice, it is second only to a guitar played well, so to hear these admittedly minor flaws was a disappointment for me and really did impact my enjoyment of the songs. This is my failing more than hers for Cassie’s vocals can alternate from being pretty and ethereal to rich and textured.

The songs are dreamy pop with the occasional syncopated drum, alternate time signature or tempo change. Cassie plays around with the melodies and off-beat rhythms which creates a lot of interest and character. These different elements can work quite well such as on Mercury Rising, Bee Sting or Monkey Killed Mayor. Dust Settled Here is a straight-up pop song with a peppy beat and light, pleasant melody supported by a bank of violin’s. And this is where she loses me, in her more pop-style songs. The quirkier songs, like Bee Sting, Cake For Rebecca, Awe And Wonder, or Becoming Jane work really well with Cassie’s unique vocals. The arrangements, though, sound thin and cold, altogether too digital for my liking. As well as singing all the vocals, Cassie plays piano & keyboards, glockenspiel, xylophone, tambourine, cowbell, shakers, and stomp box. Her musical talents are ably accompanied by: Daniel Neill (drums), Tyler Emond (all basses), Tom Juhas (all guitars), Nisha Coleman (violin), Amanda Penner (violin & viola), & Connie Black (accordion).

In spite of all the things I didn’t like about the album, I can’t deny Cassie’s talent. She has the potential to surpass Workman in the quirky department and with a bit more experience and confidence I’m sure her ability as a songwriter will strengthen. My favourite songs were Mercury Rising, Bee Sting and Dust Settled Here, my least favourites Becoming Jane, So That, Monkey Kills Mayor. The others I found to be just run-of-the-mill pop songs that you might hear on any Top 40 station. The funny thing is that the songs I liked I really liked and the songs that didn’t strike my fancy I really didn’t like.

You can find more information about Ruth Cassie in the usual place: MySpace. You should be able to find all the info about her upcoming tour dates and how to purchase Ivan Blackbird’s Story there.

Ruth Cassie – Bee Sting
Ruth Cassie – Dust Settled Here
Ruth Cassie – Monkey Kills Mayor