For
those relatively unfamiliar with the South Shore of Nova Scotia,
spending a few hours driving through the region probably tells you more
than a history book or wiki entry ever could. The stretch of coastal
land was one of the earliest European settlements, but in the last few
years has become one of NS biggest tourist retreats, full of beautiful
cottages nestled up to jagged coastlines and tiny inlets filled with
gently bobbing fishing boats and buoys.
On even the most casual
glance, you'd fall in love with the region, and to be honest, many
out-of-towners already have. Every free plot has been snatched up by
Ontario and American visitors looking for "cheap" summer homes, and mom
and pop diners were forced to step aside to make way for trendy cafes,
restaurants and shops. The quaint cottages and small town store fronts
dominate your view, but the history of the region and its foundations
are still there. All you have to do is listen.
The same can be
said about the current obsession with neo-country and roots music. It
seems everyone wants to take a kick at the can and revisit the past
with their new work. It may all sound authentic, but when you really
listen, very few get it right. Young
Laura Merrimen is one of those precious few. There are obvious jump off points – her voice and delivery on the opening track (
Go On Now), should hit home with any
Kathleen Edwards fan and Merrimen has obviously listened to
Gillian Welch’s
catalog – but for an artist that refuses to use cheap hooks as an easy
way out, trying to find an easy comparison seems like a slap.
From
her smoky voice to her vintage arrangements, it’s obvious Merrimen
appreciates the history of the music she plays and probably grew up
listening to classic records instead of simply mining influences from a
thrift store find she stumbled upon last year. The South Shore born
singer doesn’t speed along the road looking for the pretty picture, no,
she prefers to head off the road most traveled. Instead of clever
narratives and foot stomping country pop melodies served with side
orders of slide and harmonica, Merrimen offers up heavy subject matter
and heart felt emotions, refusing to soften the blow for the listener.
The slow moving
Stand Alone barely gets passed a crawl, and Merrimen’s husky voice floats out as if propelled by her last breath. When she asks, “
Can you hear what your heart’s saying now? Is it only beating for ow…own blood now?”
you fixate on the pain and empathize feeling your own heart start to
tear at the seams. It's only when you keep listening that you hear the
subtleties of the tear jerker, like the gentle, barely audible organ
that dances in the distance. Merrimen has the charisma to carry the
simplest of arrangements and handle the tenderest of emotions. Laura's
voice dominates the touching
Keepin' it Low, a song that shouldn't be as interesting as she makes it and when she sings about a low income family barely getting by (
Too Many Nights) or a broken heart, you believe her.
What I really love about this record though, are the chances she takes.
Closer to the Door
could have been found on a slab of acetate from the 50’s, but again she
freshens out the melancholy with the aid of an organ and a big electric
solo - to keep the 11 songs from blending. With some help from her
Guthrie heavy backing band (and Dan Hache's aggressive guitar work) she
handles more muscular sounds effortlessly, but never lets go of the
reins tight and makes you stick with her, listening to her words
instead of stomping along to familiar riffs. Keep an ear out for this
up & comer from NS.