Meredith Moon - Constellations

by Lisa Torem

published: 30 / 8 / 2023

Label: True North Records
Format: CD

intro

Evocative and sensitive second album from Canadian folk artist Meredith Moon

Meredith Moon’s second album, ‘Constellations,’ features purposeful songs, plaintive singing, claw hammer banjo, delicate dulcimer, fingerstyle guitar and acoustic piano. For the title song, she echoes her own warm vocals with unobtrusive guitar lines. The related video draws the senses together. The moving background is perfect for a narrative about the passion of travel. ‘Forest Far Away,’ her debut, was released in the spring of 2018, but the Canadian singer-songwriter hasn’t rested on her laurels, despite time away from the studio. In fact, she hit the ground running, by touring establishments, large and small, in Latin America, the UK and Europe. By doing so, she developed a solid reputation as a relatable festival artist. Two of the ten tracks are cleverly reimagined traditionals: ‘Soldier’s Joy’ and ‘Needlecase Medley.’ Similarly, to her late father, singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot, with whom she partially toured last year, Moon reveals a genuine humanity told in an original way. ‘That Town’ pays homage to the Ontarian town of Wawa, commonly known for a statue of a Canadian goose. “It’s a vortex, a nice vortex,” she claims with a tinge of nostalgia. ‘Lighthouse Moon’ brings forth a tear in her voice. ‘Brokenwing Bird’ is a tender tribute to vulnerability. ‘Mark Twain’ finds the young singer accompanying brassier vocals with simple triads on acoustic piano. I felt a strong Regina Spector vibe here. ‘Starcrossed’ pays tribute to a failed love with strong attention to lyrical detail and energetic strumming. ‘Slowmoving Train’ is epic in its arc. In Moon’s first verse, she establishes a natural setting: “And the white pine lined the shore far as I could see,’ but she follows up with “the ground is cold and wet,” amid strewn piles of windswept leaves. In the second verse, she reveals a sadness; she has disappeared. In the next two verses, she captures brief, but fleeting moments of love, and reflections on habitual drinking. There’s a lot of emotional territory to unpack, but Moon does it with care and precision. After finding myself drawn to Meredith Moon’s acute sensitivity, I’m anxious to hear more.

Track Listing:-

1 Star Crossed
2 I Loved That Town
3 Constellations
4 Broken Wing Bird
5 Lay Your Cards Down
6 Soldiers Joy
7 Lighthouse County
8 Mark Twain
9 Needlecase/ Blue Goose
10 Slow Moving Train

Band Links:-

https://www.meredithmoon.com/
https://www.facebook.com/meredithmoonmusic/

Label Links:-

http://truenorthrecords.com/
https://www.facebook.com/tnrecords
https://twitter.com/truenorthrecord
http://truenorthrecords.tumblr.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/truenorthrecords
https://instagram.com/truenorthrecords/