When I reviewed Church Bell Blues, an earlier album of Catherine MacLellan's, I expressed a desire for songs which were a little less wintry. This wish has largely been granted on The Raven's Son, a record which MacLellan hopes will help listeners "find light in darkness"
Despite the gothic title, it certainly seems to find her in a happier place largely thanks to the musical and personal support of partner Chris Gautier.
The simple arrangements, mostly featuring just her and Gautier on guitars (both acoustic and electric), bring out the strength and intimacy of the eleven original compositions.
The only other prominent instrument is the fiddle, played by Jay Ungar on Beneath The Lindens and Nashville's Andy Leftwich on Jack's Song and Left On My Own.
The album opens with the title track in which MacLellan resolves to take control of her life ("It's time for me to leave, find a love of my own") although in Rushing Winding Wind she also acknowledges that you can't get through hard times alone.
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Her songs have a traditional flavour with strong echoes of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. Tell Me Luella, for instance, has similar structure to that of the folk-blues standard Make Me A Pallet On The Floor which Welch covered on Soul Journey.
However, MacLellan also brings her own expressiveness to the tunes with a voice as pure as it is soothing. No longer signed to True North Records , this self released record seems to reflect a new spirit of calm and hopefulness.
Recorded in the woods outside Woodstock, NY, a seasonal chill still pervades tracks like Frost On The Hollows and Winter Spring but an underlying mood of optimism shines through.
Put another way, you might say that it's not light yet, but it's getting there.
Catherine MacLellan's website
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