Album: Direction
Artist: Colleen Brown
(Northern Gateway Kickline Records)
Four stars (out of five)
Colleen Brown’s heady fifth effort is all over the map. Lyrically speaking, that is. The Edmonton folk-rocker sings about flying to New Brunswick (Moncton Flight 179), heading west on “the next train” (Direction) and warming up in the south (Come to Arizona). Of course, all these destinations are nothing more than a ruse. “Direction’s not a place at all / Only forward or backward,” the acrobatic vocalist, reminiscent of Joni Mitchell, confesses on the title track, a sparse yet jubilant piano ballad. Forward seems to be Brown’s main, um, direction — at least on two of the three tracks produced by singer-songwriter Joel Plaskett. “I’ll follow where you lead,” she admits in huskier tones on Lead Me On, a ‘70s-flavoured number warmed by the throbs of an organ. “I’m ready again / Ready to fall in,” her voice soars on Soap and Denim, which bubbles with driving guitar riffs, and eerie back-up vocals that initially sound like synths. Or, perhaps, trying to move forward isn’t the point? Maybe YOU are the direction? “Getting ahead is a lie / You can only ever be where you are,” Brown speculates on The Cost, a sparkly yet fuzzy ’50s rocker, and one of three tunes produced by Raymond Richards. Written and recorded over several years and in various cities — Los Angeles, Toronto, Dartmouth and Edmonton — Brown refers to Direction as her “Frankenstein monster.” Oddly, it’s her most cohesive — and rewarding — effort since 2007’s Foot In Heart. While she was never able to capitalize on the momentum of that album, which was later reissued on Emm Gryner’s Dead Daisy Records, Direction should help Brown’s career move forward again. She’ll perform Friday, April 10 at CKUA Radio’s Performance Space as part of a live taping. For more information, visit her website.
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