Akire Bubar doesn't set the world on fire with Arms of the Sun, but she does manage to strike some sparks. A collection of thirteen songs, the album is essentially a cross-section of modern folk. Bubar is remarkably good at transitioning between styles; her songs evoke everyone from Iris DeMent to Maddy Pryor, with a surprising detour into blue-eyed soul with "Procrastination." On one hand, this prevents the album from gaining any sort of coherent feel, but on the other, it does a nice job of demonstrating the singer's versatility and keeping the listener on their toes.
By far, the most impressive thing about Akire Bubar is her voice. It's simultaneously warm and supple, filled with passion yet not so earnest as to be off-putting. Indeed, her voice is so good that in cases it outstrips her lyrics and arrangements. The latter are generally good, though often sparse. Only "Burning Times," stands out (mainly because of Tracy Feldman's sawing fiddle), though "Beltane's Garden" and "Answers From the Sea" are also highlights. It's just that the instrumental lines are clearly outshone by the vocals, and many of the songs could use a bit more balance.
If the album does have a weakness, it's in the lyrics. There's a definite tendency toward over-earnestness in many places. However, the worst offenders in this regard are generally the oldest songs on the CD. A look at the liner notes reveals that the songs cover a range of nearly a decade and that the best songs, such as "What I Miss Most" are from the back end of that time period.
Arms of the Sun is undeniably uneven, but it just as undeniably gives evidence of a considerable talent. The album is worth investigating, both on its own merits and as a harbinger of things hopefully to come.
