Thursday, May 13, 2010

HOW SARAH GOT HER GROOVE BACK

I'm a big fan of Sarah McLachlan, and man enough to admit it! I first hear her song "Hold On" on the No Alternative compilation in 1993 alongside  Smashing Pumpkins, The Beastie Boys, Uncle Tupelo, Soundgarden and Patti Smith. I hadn't heard of her, and was pretty knocked out. It didn't seem like she fit in, but the CD was on Arista, which was her label, and you know how Clive Davis is!

Anyway, I picked up her next album, Fumbling Towards Ecstacy, and was really really knocked out.  Every song worked.  She reminded me a bit of Tori Amos (and yes, Kate Bush) but really mostly Peter Gabriel.  I enjoy a lot of the music that she's done since then, but nothing has moved me as much as that album. I have always felt that her music has encompassed both joy and sorrow.  But never really fun.  Her new song, now available on iTunes, "Loving You Is Easy," changes that. It's got a bit more rhythm (and sounds like she has been listening to Aimee Mann, not usually an icon of fun). It's not a secret that Sarah divorced her ex-husband/ex-drummer a while ago, and there was a lot of sorrow on her next songs: "Don't Give Up On Us" and "U Want Me 2," both from her greatest hits album Closer (from 2008). But on this new song, she sounds like she's moved on, and feeling pretty sexy.  Good for you, Sarah. It is from her next album, Laws Of Illusion, which comes out June 15. So, to review: she's single, has a new album, and is about to headline the reactivated Lilith Fair tour, which a bunch of other ladies. I wonder if she'll be leaving a trail of male NPR loving groupies across America (and Canada). Just kidding, Sarah fans!

I've had the pleasure of interviewing her - she isn't really how you would think she'd be.  When the camera is off, she curses a lot! On her records, she comes off like a character in a book, or like Cate Blanchett's character in Lord Of The Rings, but in person she actually seems quite normal and level headed. She's also even better looking in person!

When Closer came out,  I filmed her performing in the SIRIUS studios.  It was just her, her tech, and I in a studio.  As a fan, it was pretty amazing to be in there, and I don't take for granted how much that opportunity would have meant to so many of her fans (who are much more hard core about Sarah than I am, admittedly). Here's one of the songs.

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