Search - Basia Bulat :: Heart of My Own

Canadian Chamber Chanteuse Creates Classic

Leif Sheppard | United States | 01/26/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In 2007, Canadian artist Basia Bulat released her debut album "Oh, My Darling" to warm acclaim, eventually landing on the shortlist for the 2008 Polaris Music Prize (apologies Caribou, but Basia deserved it more). Also in '08, Rough Trade finally released the album here in the States, where I immediately was drawn to her smoky, almost ethereal, vocals. Clocking in at just over thirty-eight minutes, "Oh, My Darling" weaves between simple acoustic folk jaunts like "Before I Knew" (recently featured in a Subaru advert), to country-tinged pop numbers like "December", all the way to full-band arrangements like "Snakes and Ladders", replete with surging piano riffs and a sublime string section.



Now, in early 2010, sophomore effort "Heart of My Own" comes along as a pitch perfect winter release. Interest in this record has been building for months now, ever since lead single "Gold Rush" was made available on Bulat's website last year. Since then, she's been steadily incorporating new tracks into her recent setlists. "Gold Rush" is a song that could only be conceived by Bulat, with gorgeous vocals that wisp into the melody, then swell with epic grandeur into the chorus, all while the light percussion and buoyant string section intently follow her lead.



"Heart of My Own" was composed almost entirely on the road, as over the past year Bulat embarked on a whirlwind tour across her homeland, Australia, Europe, and the United States. This seems to have influenced her work here, as there is an immediate intensity to certain songs not present on "Oh, My Darling", though the intimate feel of Bulat's throaty vocals anchors it all wonderfully. I find that most records are an ephemeral experience, because I can typically glean all the artist has to offer with but a handful of spins. I've played this one through three times, and each time some other subtle nuance reveals itself, tucked away in a song that I hadn't noticed before. Suffice it to say that "Heart of My Own" is every bit the equal of its predecessor, indeed, it's a more intricately layered work as well.



"Go On" contains a surprisingly powerful snare tapping about in a marching fashion, and this paired with Bulat's somewhat darker lyrics combine to form an impression that this will be a more dispirited album than her debut. Then comes second track "Run", a heart-crushingly beautiful love song with a exquisite chorus that is almost entirely composed of the word "run". On paper this probably wouldn't seem viable, but in Bulat's capable hands the track is easily one of my favorites on an album filled with them. "If Only You" is another inviting love song, this being of the more "come back to me" variety, which is a fittingly jaunty melody propelled along by a buoyant a trumpet section!



This isn't to say Bulat has shed the acoustic-folk sensibilities that permeated her first record, as songs like "Sugar and Spice" and "I'm Forgetting Everyone" both fall into this category. This record feels like a natural transition, effectively maturing her sound whilst still retaining everything that made "Oh, My Darling" such an endlessly enjoyable album. In fact, I concede I'm at a loss to find faults with this one, though I tend to make a concerted effort to mention the missteps an artist makes along with the outright praise. Every track here shines: "Walk You Down" is a pleasantly peppy pop song, "The Shore" magnificently features Bulat's trademark autoharp, while "Sparrow" is another acoustic-folk stunner with a chorus that rests on your heart like freshly fallen snow.



I wouldn't lend credence to pretentious professional critics who deride any artist that isn't aboard the hipster bandwagon, such as the odious Paste Magazine reviewer who gave this record a 57 out of 100 (no subscription renewal this year, thank you very much). This may be a presumptuous claim, but I feel resolutely confident "Heart of My Own" will stand tall as one of the top ten albums of the year. Even the album closer, "If It Rains", brings a smile to the face, in spite of the crestfallen atmosphere. I cannot conceive of a better way to summarize this album than to use Bulat's own words. In a recent interview, she stated: "I think ["Heart of My Own"] is at times extremely sparse and, well, spacious, with big choirs singing, and then it gets really dense with really spirited and rolling drums." In closing, I'd like to reiterate that there isn't a single misfire on this record, but some songs are naturally better than others. My personal rankings are as follows:



Perfect: "Run", "Gold Rush", "The Shore", "If Only You"



Excellent: "Sparrow", "Walk You Down", "If It Rains", "Go On"



Good: "Heart of My Own", "Sugar and Spice"



Okay: "Once More, for the Dollhouse", "I'm Forgetting Everyone""