By: David de Young
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| Bec Smith at Clubhouse Jäger at her CD Release show - Photo by David de Young |
Smith opened her set with the lead-off track from Blessing, “The Letter,” a song that with its light yet taught and somewhat discordant acoustic guitar riffs makes it clear immediately that she’s serious. “I often wonder what could have been,” Smith muses in the song’s opening lyric, and that sets the tone for what is to follow, an album which winds its way through tales of loss, betrayal and ultimately redemption, coming at last not gasping for air, but proud and downright victorious.
Smith immediately diverged from the new disc at her release show by playing “Redeye,” from 2001’s Temper (yes, it’s been six years since Smith released her last CD.) “Redeye” is one of two standout tracks on Temper, and I must say that one of Blessing’s many successes is that overall, more of the songs have the stick-with-you quality that only a few of the songs on her previous album did. As many times as I’ve enjoyed listening to Temper over the years, once out of my player, it became a bit muddy in my memory except for “Redeye” and “You Can’t Even Tell.”
Blessing, as an album, negotiates from a position of power. It is lush and accessible at once without ever sounding over-produced. In that sense, I’d compare it to Dan Wilson’s latest release, Free Life. Engineered by friend and musical conspirator Ev Olcott (12 Rods) at Integral Studio in St. Paul, Smith’s voice flows over you like the tone of a well-crafted oboe. Olcott also ran sound at Saturday’s CD Release show and brought the power of the studio album to the live performance which was an integral part of the CD Release show’s success.
Bec Smith at Clubhouse Jäger
Vocally, Smith has a knack for delivering lyrics in such a way that she drives home the intention that every word and syllable. Her voice is strong when necessary, as soft as a whisper when appropriate.
If the strength of Blessing wasn’t apparent from its opening track, Smith drives it home in track two, perhaps the album’s central song, “I Was Right,” which she selected as the third song of her set Saturday. It was the first time I was hearing the song, and it literally gave me goose bumps and choked me up while sitting on the floor attempting to capture the mood in photos. “The sun never shines on what could be surprise…you’re gone,” she sings in a song that is as much a spiritual journey as it is a song, the simplified moral of it all being, “trust yourself” even when the truth you suspect is unpleasant. “I Was Right” paints a central theme for the whole album, as the “Blessing” that comes later is already present in the real love the betrayer still showed in spite of it all.
More key tracks from Blessing were sprinkled throughout the rest of the set including “Somewhere Else,” “Black,” and “Along the Way.” Smith wrapped up the set with “You Can’t Even Tell” from Temper and a new song and an encore she clearly had not planned for but was demanded by the standing room only crowd.
One thing I do hope is that Bec Smith plays more regularly. As her shows have been few and far between lately, you should see her when you can.
Location Info:
Club Jäger
Artist Info: Bec Smith
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