Jane Kramer - Carnival of Hopes

  by Malcolm Carter

published: 5 / 2 / 2016

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The opening track on Asheville, North Carolina-based Jane Kramer’s second solo album leaves little doubt as to where this talented singer-songwriter is coming from. ‘Half Way Gone’, a fiddle-driven country swing, sets the scene for the album, which is steeped in that Appalachian bluegrass sound which colours the other nine songs on ‘Carnival of Hopes’. Produced and engineered by Adam Johnson at Sound Temple Studios in Asheville, Kramer wrote nine of the songs, the exception being a fine cover of Tom Petty’s ‘Down South’. By the second cut on the album, the title song, you’ll wonder why such a talented songwriter felt the need to cover Petty’s song. Kramer is a brilliant lyricist; while much is made, understandably, of her vocal abilities Kramer is one of those songwriters who draws the listener into her stories with her lyrics. When paired with the unforgettable melodies that Kramer seems to effortlessly pluck out of the air to complete the picture, it makes for compelling listening. Even if you’ve never lived the life that Kramer explores in her songs, you’ll feel some affinity; the melodies alone are irresistible and there’s always that voice. While artists from Alison Krauss to Nanci Griffith have been mentioned in the past when Kramer’s vocals and songwriting have been considered, Kramer has a distinctive voice of her own. Hints of most of the major players in her field can filter through on occasions but for the most part those vocals are pure Kramer. Of course, Jane Kramer isn’t the only female singer-songwriter who can sing but there are few that also have her songwriting skills. Returning to the title song (which you will do many times), especially following on after a song cut from a different cloth, shows what a unique talent Kramer is. The tune immediately worms its way into the listener's head, Kramer’s vocals are even more emotive than usual on her ballads, and each play reveals that lyrically Kramer is at the top of her game here. While songs like ‘Your Ever-Green Heart’ continue in the American roots music vein, there’s ‘Good Woman’ which with its fiddle, cello and banjo doesn’t stray too far from the expected sound, but the production, arrangement and Kramer’s heartfelt vocal performance lift the song out of the confines of any genre. It’s simply an outstanding performance, a song that should be heard by an audience far greater than it’s destined for. ‘Truck Stop Stars’ has another irresistible tune. A reflective ballad with a chorus that belies the yearning in Kramer’s moving vocals, on any other album this song would have been the highlight. The fact is that it’s just one of many little gems scattered throughout ‘Carnival Of Hopes’. Kramer throws a few surprises in; ‘Why’d I Do That Blues’ mixes in a little jazz and blues resulting is a sultry New Orleans stew complete with appropriate brass, while ‘Highways, Rivers and Scars’ is so moving that, given Kramer really pours every last bit of emotion into her vocals on this track, it will touch the hardest of hearts. There are times when Dolly Parton’s early work makes a fleeting appearance; songs like ‘Truth Tellin’ Eyes’ conjure up memories of some of Parton’s lesser known songs, and there are even touches of Parton in the vocals occasionally. The album closes with ‘My Dusty Wings’ much in the same way as it started. This banjo-fuelled bluegrass cut brings things full circle but what a wonderful musical journey Kramer and her bunch of talented co-creators take you on with ‘Carnival of Hopes’.

Track Listing:-

1 Half Way Gone
2 Carnival of Hopes
3 You Ever~Green Heart
4 Good Woman
5 Down South
6 Truck Stop Stars
7 Why'd I Do that Blues
8 Highways, Rivers and Scars
9 Truth Tellin' Eyes
10 My Dusty Wings

Band Links:-

http://janekramer.net/index/
https://www.facebook.com/janekramersongstress/
http://amazingtunes.com/janekramer

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