Check It Out: Carrie Newcomer
By Mandie on February 11, 2010 in library
Carrie Newcomer is from the generation just before the pop-ation of country music. While her voice is a traditional country-style voice, her songs often defy the genre. There are strong folk currents in her music (two of her CDs were actually located in the folk section). She comes from a generation when these two genres could and did overlap. Her predecessors like John Denver proved this. However, her later music is less folk-y and more like modern country. Just listening to the differences between the albums in the record libe shows the progression of country music today.
The songs avoid the overly ornate and electronic accompaniments that characterize so many country songs throughout her early years. When she starts exploring different accompaniments, her choices have the raw potential of any new discovery. Carrie's voice is rich and full, and she uses her lower range powerfully and expressively. The songs are mostly traditional country themes: family, love gone right and wrong, and life lived fully. They're songs that make you think about what you value and about what you take for granted. Carrie Newcomer sings about single motherhood and personal themes, going deeper into her own life than most artists are willing to explore, driven by her understanding of life as a single mother and her Quaker faith.
We have three of Carrie's albums: My Father's Only Son, An Angel at My Shoulder, and My True Name. My Father's Only Son is a mix of love songs, songs about life, activist songs (“Tracks” and “The Madness You Get Used To”), and songs about family. An Angel at My Shoulder is full of yearning for better life, personally and globally, and defining relationships. My True Name addresses failed relationships, life's disappointments, and identity.
Tracks for your enjoyment:
Carrie Newcomer - Three Women
Carrie Newcomer - The Madness You Get Used To
Carrie Newcomer- When One Door Closes (Another Door Opens Wide)
Post Comment
