In Europe we do not realize how big a country Canada really is, and how much good music comes from that country. We often mistake Canadian musicians and groups for being US-bred. But here are two new offerings from different parts of that country north of the border.
Qristina & Quinn Bachand, Little Hinges
Qristina & Quinn Bachand are a brother-sister duo from British Columbia with Christina Bachand playing the fiddle and singing, and brother Quinn playing assorted fretted string instruments as well as some keyboards and percussion. On Little Hinges they enlisted one of the co-producers, Joby Baker, on percussion.
Little Hinges is their third album. It is divided into two section, a more traditional and a more experimental, separated by a short piece called “Little Hinges.” The Bachands starting point is Celtic music, and you will find a fair amount of instrumentals with that typical Irish feel on the album, as well as a couple of traditional songs.
The traditional section is the shorter one, basically made up of two songs and two instrumentals. To me it is the best part, both material and performance wise. There is a lovely version of “What You Do With What You’ve Got”, with some powerful Celtic guitarplaying by Quinn, and a fast fiddle interlude written by him. It is followed by a set of jigs, where Qristina’s fiddling is supplemented by some fine tenor banjo work from Quinn. And then my favorite track, Dominic Bhena’s “Crooked Jack,” set to the tune of “The Star of the County Down.” It is given a slow treatment, with some atmospheric electric guitar, clawhammer banjo and percussion in the background.
The experimental section is not that far removed from the traditional one. A few more electric instruments, more strange sounds in the background and some processed vocals. I am not that impressed, though there are some real highlights. “Jimmy’s Fiddle,” written for the duo by Daniel Jordan from the group Red Moon Road, is the first. A slow song, which soundwise could have suited the first part of the album. The second, to me at least, is Christina Bachand’s slow instrumental air “Never Goodbye.”
In total a nice album, with a lot of quality songs and fine singing and playing. Check out Qristina and Quinn at their website, where you may hear some samples and see a few videos.
(Beacon Ridge Productions, 2015)
Anne Lindsay, Soloworks
Anne Lindsay is a Toronto-based violinist and singer. She has an long track record, both of her own albums and appearances on other people’s. On Soloworks it is just her, her violin, nyckelharpa and voice, apart from one track which is performed on cello by Amy Lang, and a few where she backs herself on piano.
I must say I have struggled a bit with this album. No doubt Lindsay is a superb violin player, and she has got a pleasant voice as well. But I do not quite see the point. There are moments of glory, like the short, fast “The Dusting Rag,” her song “The Cold Told a Tale” and the set with “The Spy Czar” and “Jokijenka”. And she does an interesting interpretation of Smokey Robinson’s “You Really Got a Hold on Me” (also recorded by the Beatles among others) with just voice and violin. But often the tracks lack something, to me, they would benefit from some backing instruments. Sometimes they sound more like practice pieces out of a violin book than finished tunes, and at times Lindsay put too much in. Take “Pilgrimage to Pushkar” which starts off with a very strong tune, almost classical in its structure. She could have left it there, but instead she includes a middle part of the “practice piece” kind which lowers the impact.
I would love to hear her as a part of a group, or as a solo performer with a proper backing, but this does not do it for me. But if you are familiar with her earlier works, or love solo violin, maybe it is something for you. You can learn more on Anne Lindsay’s website.
(Violindsay Music, 2015)
[Editor’s note: Soloworks is Anne Lindsay’s fourth solo album, and her first self-produced. You can listen to some sample tracks from Soloworks on the New Canadian Music site. ]
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