Paula Frazer and Tarnation - Now It's Time

  by Malcolm Carter

published: 27 / 1 / 2007

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Review

Paula Frazer formed Tarnation in 1991. The band went through a few changes before she decided to drop the name and go solo releasing two proper albums under her own name and a collection of demos and four-track recordings. But no matter if her music went under a group name or not. The music, sound and vision was always 100% Paula Frazer. For this latest collection Paula has resurrected the Tarnation name and recruited Patrick Main on piano and Jasmyn Wong on drums and the multi-instrumentalist has made possibly her best album since the critically acclaimed ‘Mirador’ back in 1997. That’s not to dismiss her ‘solo’ albums, each and every album bearing Paula’s name was excellent but adapting her old band’s name has given her a new lease of life. The songs all still bear Paula’s trademark melancholy vocals; not really folk, not really country but a pure, angelic sound no doubt honed from years singing in her father’s church choir during her childhood in Arkansas. While there are many who possess this type of ‘little girl lost’ vocal not many do it as well as Paula. A lot of what makes Paula, on this collection of songs anyway, stand out from the crowd is the sparseness of the music. For all the harmonies on songs such as ‘Nowhere’ for example a certain loneliness prevails. The song is a showcase of angelic harmonies; it conjures up a picture of a choir of angels singing from above but despite the fullness of sound there is still a sense of isolation, that edgy feel that is needed to stop the song becoming too friendly. The opening track, ‘August’s Song’ ranks among the best Paula has ever written. With harmonies from an unlisted male, it sets out Paula’s stall very nicely for what is to follow. Paula’s vocals are particularly moving on this tale of a lost love and a lost summer, the line “I missed summer again” and the reprise of the title after a short silence at the end of the song are really affecting. ‘Now It’s Time’ is one of those albums which is instantly accessible, more so than any other Frazer album to date. In spite of the moodiness and at times, mournful lyrics it’s not a depressing album in the least. There are times as on ‘Bitter Rose’ where the piano led melody is more uplifting and where Frazer’s crystal-clear country influenced vocals show that even though lyrically sorrow is never far away the stirring melody makes one forget that Frazer’s heart is breaking. These are beautiful songs and to rank them amongst Frazer’s best is no small praise. Not the type of album to play on a Saturday night, but then Frazer has never been an artist to make you want to party. Frazer’s songs have a place and a time when they can be appreciated to the full and where their beauty shines most; this is usually during those 3am moments when all is quiet but not quite right with your world. But with this album Frazer has produced eleven songs which shine no matter when they are played. It’s not just a 3am collection, not just a Sunday morning listen; it’s the first Frazer album that one can find comfort in at any time of the day. That Frazer is an accomplished musician and singer / songwriter there was never any doubt but she seems to have found a fresh source of inspiration with this album. Returning to a band arrangement seems to have paid off; this is an exceptionally strong album even by Frazer’s standards.

Track Listing:-

1 August's Song
2 Pretend
3 Bitter Rose (USA2M0703095)
4 Sleeping Dreams
5 First Sign
6 Nowhere
7 Another Day
8 Shadows
9 I'll Never Know
10 Now It's Time
11 All the Time