Joanna Chapman-Smith - Contraries

  by Malcolm Carter

published: 4 / 9 / 2010

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Review

‘Contraries’ is Joanna Chapman-Smith’s second album but I have to admit it’s the first time I have heard this Canadian multi-instrumentalist. Not so long ago there was little to distinguish any of the current influx of female singer-songwriters from each other. It really did get to the point that the voices and songs were all gelling into one. So it’s with some relief that I can state that Joanna Chapman-Smith is not one of the pack. There’s a theatrical element to Chapman-Smith’s music and I’d usually be the first to back away from any music that is in the slightest bit theatrical but for some reason Chapman-Smith’s music is so appealing you just want to wrap yourself up in it. To begin with I thought that as there are so few making similar music to Joanna that her appeal was in the freshness and originality of her music. Joanna mixes jazz, folk, Eastern European and even Latin influences into her music. All this and one can almost picture her acting out her songs on stage even if you are sitting in a dreary room listening to her album. But on track four it all falls into place. ‘Body Language’ is a short (less than 1 minute 30 seconds) wordless, unaccompanied showcase of not only Joanna’s vocals but of those of her band too I’d guess. It’s then that it hits you. It’s in the voice. While Joanna is obviously a multi-instrumentalist with an enormous talent for mixing, and mixing successfully, a variety of musical styles that really shouldn’t work well together, her voice is also something else entirely. While not particularly powerful and shorn of any quirkiness Joanna has a smooth, silky singing voice which obviously can handle any musical style with ease. You can hear every single word she sings without wishing Joanna had included a lyric-sheet with the CD and thankfully no other singers come to mind when listening to her. Joanna has the kind of singing voice that will appeal to many. It’s warm and inviting and really does her songs justice. The Eastern European influences are to the fore obviously on ‘Klezbian Mother’ and it’s to Joanna’s credit that such a specialised piece of music doesn’t sound out of place on her album even when the next song that features vocals, ‘In The Quiet’, is a piece of theatrical jazz dominated by piano and which shows a completely different side to Joanna and is surely a taster for a future album of similar tracks. Joanna’s vocals are really suited to these jazzier songs. As if to prove that statement wrong the following song, ‘For Good’ finds Joanna in a more straightforward pop setting. It’s no lightweight pop song though, again Joanna’s vocals lift the song and Dawn Zoe’s accordion adds a French touch which can also be heard on a number of the other songs. It many respects this track shows a slightly darker side to Joanna’s writing especially when compared to ‘Klezbian Mother’ and I’m still amazed how a musician can combine so many different musical styles so successfully on one album and still make it sound like each and every one should be there. Joanna saved the best to last though. The final song here, ‘Carnival Song’ is another piano based song where Joanna drops all her jazz and cabaret-style influences to produce a breathtaking song that maybe gives more of an indication as to where the real Joanna Chapman-Smith is coming from when she clears her mind of her influences. The all too brief appearance of Carolyna Loveless and Sarah MacDougall on backing vocals will make you stop in your tracks. They are simply beautiful. ‘Contraries’ is an album that is forever revealing new sounds and is an absolute joy to listen to whatever your mood. In Joanna Chapman-Smith we have finally found a female singer-songwriter who has broken the mould.

Track Listing:-

1 Urbanity
2 Arbitrary Lines
3 A Glass of Right & Wrong
4 Body Language
5 Between the Minds
6 Things Are Gonna Go Wrong
7 Tactile World
8 Melodies
9 Klezbian Mother
10 Dub Mother
11 In the Quiet
12 For Good
13 Carnival Song