February music

Originally published in the Ketchikan Daily News, February 2007; written by Lisa Pearson.

February is a pretty bleak month, the giddy excitement of Valentine’s Day excepted. The post-Christmas, post-football, post-Wearable Art letdown makes the cold rainy days seem even more raw. And although some people may counsel you to wear bright colors, get lots of exercise and think positive thoughts, I say go ahead and wallow in sadness. It’s only for a few weeks, and everyone needs the occasional vacation from being upbeat. Let some of the newest CDs at the library supply you with the mood music.

With “Half the Perfect World”, Madeline Peyroux has lent her unique voice to songs from such wordsmiths as Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, and Tom Waits. Peyroux is a talented songwriter as well, and has coauthored four of the songs here. This album is actually soothing, not sad, and will make you feel as if you are sitting in a dim smoky jazz club. Her rendition of Joni Mitchell’s song “River” is especially nice, and the addition of k.d. lang’s voice on this track is a bonus.

It’s been 14 years since Lindsey Buckingham released his last album, the critically-acclaimed “Out of the Cradle”, and he has not been idle. His latest effort, “Under the Skin” mixes beautiful acoustic guitar with a voice that seems other-worldly. Buckingham produced the album himself, and he has stripped down the songs to their essence. This album will put you in an introspective mood perfect for short, gray days.

Now that you’re mellow and relaxed, it’s time to wander over to the dark side of life. And who better to take you on that trip than Tom Waits? He has just released a 3-disc set titled “Orphans: brawlers, bawlers and bastards” that contains over 50 tracks. Anyone who has listened to Tom Waits knows that he has a wide range of styles and that his music has changed considerably over the last 30 years. This album, which is actually composed of songs that didn’t make it onto previous releases, displays his eclectic approach to music. But common to all the songs are Waits’ gritty characters and edgy poetry (the only downside to this set is that it doesn’t include the lyrics). “Altar Boy” – on disc 3 – is Waits at his creepy, boozy best.

For some more unsettling music, try “Boxing Mirror” by Alejandro Escovedo. A weird mixture of punk, blues and country, this album was made after Escovedo recovered from a life-threatening illness and its lyrics deal with death, loss, and depression. Velvet Underground alum John Cale produced this album, and there’s a harsh feel to some of the tracks (especially ‘Arizona’). One of the most interesting things about these songs is the use of a string quartet to add a level of sound that you don’t usually hear in punk music. On my favorite track – “Sacramento and Polk” – you can hear the strings in the background being used almost as percussion.

So pull down the shades, turn down the lights and indulge in a little melancholy this month. Come March 1st, though, it’s back to perky normality. And if you need a little kick-start, check out “Downtown: the greatest hits of Petula Clark”. It might not make you smile, but at least it will get you off the couch as you lunge for the stereo to turn off her chirpy voice.

This weekend is the Marjorie Anne Voss estate sale. As you may know, Ms. Voss very generously willed her estate to the New Library Building Fund. We will be selling the contents of her house on Saturday from 9-3 and Sunday from 12-3 at 1222 Tongass Ave. There will be antiques, artwork, furniture, collectibles, linens, books and other wonderful finds, and all of the proceeds go directly towards the effort to build a new library. Due to the confined space, we will only be allowing 20 people into the house at one time. We appreciate everyone’s patience with this arrangement. If you have any questions, or need directions, please call us at 225-3331.