Monday 05 July 2010



Late bloomer

(photo: Dustin Rabin)

There seems to be an awfully lot of musicians whose music I’m familiar with at an arm’s length.  Most times, It’s a recognition of the name, and maybe a track or two.  Sarah Harmer is one such artist whose work I was familiar with, in the sense that I knew she was releasing albums and making music, but I wasn’t paying any attention to them.  The same thing happened with her previous band, Weeping Tile; again, I knew they were writing and recording great music, but I just never really got into it.  So, Sarah Harmer has been one artist who I knew I had to pay more attention to.  As soon as there was something to pay attention to.

Oh Little Fire, Harmer’s fifth album, is here, and it’s been drawing an awful lot of my attention lately.  Harmer’s warm and dulcet voice is seasoned to the point of perfection, and the 11 songs stand as a testament to her formidable songwriting talent.  There isn’t one song I like more than another, be it the lead single “Captive” or bouncy “One Match” or the twangy “Silverado” (a duet with Neko Case that makes me swoon).  The whole record rocks out more than I would have imagined it to, but it still retains that folksy vibe I have always associated Harmer with.  She’s a pleasingly easy listen, especially sitting outside on a warm summer’s night, with a few random candles piercing the dark, and Oh Little Fire chasing away the chill of the wind. That’s what I imagine it will be like on September 4 when Harmer plays Jackson-Triggs Winery’s outdoor amphitheatre as part of their singer-songwriter series.  I’m planning on procuring a couple tickets forthwith.

If you’re looking to see Harmer in action yourself, she’s got a number of dates lined up from now through to the end of the summer.  She’ll be at the Winnipeg Folk Festival on July 11 and then Ottawas Bluesfest on July 13 before heading south for a few dates.  July 17 sees her at the Vancouver Folk Festival, then to Guelph on July 24 for the Hillside Festival.  She closes out the month in Montreal at the Osheaga festival on July 31.

Myspace: Sarah Harmer
Facebook: Sarah Harmer
Twitter: Sarah Harmer





by J. Di Gioia | Comments Off

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