When I first saw Basia Bulat, she was dancing around in the middle of a forest with gypsies, bears, and skeletons.
That music video for her song In the Night is what initially drew attention to Bulat’s indie-folk stylings. Then, Little Waltz was used in a TV ad for the Australian Volkswagen Eos and her name began popping up all over the Internet. In 2008, her very first album, Oh, My Darling, featuring those two songs, made the long list, and subsequently the short list, for the Polaris Music Prize.
As such, the February 2010 release of Bulat’s second album, Heart of My Own (which I happily got for free - thanks CBC Radio 2 Drive!), was met with much anticipation across Canada and Europe.
Heart of My Own takes a step in a slightly different direction from Oh, My Darling. Its opening number, Go On, begins with a galloping guitar that builds to a flurry of instrumentation, similar to Oh My Darling’s I Was A Daughter, but Bulat’s vocals have a notable change.
No longer does she consistently keep her voice at a quietly intimate, controlled level, but loosens the reigns a little, belting out her choruses with hearty gusto (adding intensity to the exuberant Gold Rush, and the lyrically bold Walk You Down), possibly a style aquired after honing her chops over two years of touring, which included the Winnipeg Folk Festival in 2008.
This, combined with an increase of backing musicians (playing trumpets, organs, and french horns, among other things) on more tracks gives Heart of My Own a fuller, more complex sound.
Bulat lost her voice recording Oh, My Darling, which is probably why that first album sounds soft and reserved compared to the almost orchestra-like power that appears on Heart of My Own.
That’s not to say the album doesn’t have its share of quaint tunes mixed in with the rollicking ones. Those who liked Little Waltz or A Secret on Oh, My Darling will be pleased to hear Bulat’s lone voice sing out sweetly and pleasantly under-accompanied in Sugar and Spice, Sparrow, and I’m Forgetting Everyone.
Those who’ve kept up-to-date on Bulat since Oh, My Darling’s release will find that three of the unreleased songs that’ve been floating around on the Internet have made it onto this newest release: Sugar and Spice (from her self-titled EP), The Shore, and the title track, Heart of My Own; the latter two with some minor changes.
I’m not usually one to criticize when the songs I’ve heard as live, unreleased, or demo recordings sound different when they eventually make it onto an official album. After all, songs evolve as they’re played, adjustments are made in the studio, and sometimes feedback from the audience all contribute to the final sound put on the album.
But when I heard the beginning chords of Heart of My Own on this newest recording, I was shocked to hear it played out on guitar as opposed to Bulat’s signature autoharp.
I’ve heard said song once on a fantastic unreleased track (get it here, under its then "untitled" status), and twice live, with all three performances featuring the autoharp’s warm strumming which gives the song a much more unique and rich sound.
In fact, the lack of autoharp seems to be indicative to the album as a whole. For an artist who’s notable for her use of the instrument (indeed, she was featured on NPR about “making the autoharp cool”) it surprisingly appears on only 3 of Heart of My Own’s 12 tracks – and on 2 of those 3, its very nearly drowned out by accompanying instruments.
What remains consistent across Bulat’s albums, however, is the honest, often poetic nature of her lyrics (thankfully this time we get a booklet for moments when the pace becomes hurried) and delightful melodies.
From the pleading lines of Sparrow (“the horns and shells you’ve gathered here/One day, the one you battle might be me”) to the simple chorus of Run, Bulat mixes words and music with incredible talent worthy of some great composer, but sings them like the smiling forest nymph she is.
Basia Bulat plays this Thursday at the West End Cultural Centre.
Tickets $15
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