"I like Jane Siberry and I love some of her music. "Hush," though, is an indulgent mess. There are one or two pieces that I like, but they're not enough to justify purchasing the CD. Because, sadly, at least 50% of the cuts are so unbearable I can hardly sit through them. To be precise, they're INTERMINABLE. I have tried to appreciate them, but all I can do is yell at the CD player, "End already!"The repetition, the layered vocals, the largely absent music...I appreciate minimalism and modernism but this is ridiculous. There is a point where the producer has to step in and say, "Whoa." That didn't happen here."
Her Halo Is Wonderfully Askew
William E. Pierce IV | Mount Laurel, NJ USA | 10/06/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Yes, I've admittedly been fascinated with the quirkily, endearingly contagiousness of Jane Siberry's music since my first listen. As with her previous work, this CD is to the ears what fairground funnel cake is to the nose--arresting, sweet, and immediately provacative. But, with Jane, that's just the beginning: as you process the familiar words of these childhood songs with all her too strange harmonies and fun house mirror time warps, she sets off the nerve endings, successfully changing physical waves into emotional excitation. The resulting little shivers of "touch" are the hallmark of only a few musicians and artists. Best of all, hers is an insidiously insider-only message delivered to those whose receptors are tuned to all things left of center. Jane's let you share her secret flipbook scene of the angel's halo tilting ever more wonderfully askew."
Heartfelt and simply beautiful
Jeanette Rowe | 11/01/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I'm always amazed by how differently the same piece of music strikes different people. I couldn't disagree more with the editorial review -- "Hush" is about as heartfelt as it gets. Sadness, joy, loss, pain, wonder, it's all here in ample amounts. And Siberry's vocals (yes, they are all hers) are simply gorgeous. If you liked the layered arrangement of the "Love is Everything" reprise on her brilliant "When I Was A Boy" CD, you'll love what she's done here.In my humble opinion, Siberry's rendition of "The Water is Wide" is worth the price of this CD alone; it might well be the most beautiful song I've ever heard, and it's definitely the highlight of "Hush." Like the album itself, it meanders and builds, receeds and then blooms into something wonderful when least expected. Thank you, Jane!"
From HUSH to SHUSHAN THE PALACE
Jeanette Rowe | Mars | 12/14/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I differ with the Amazon review of this CD. The emotional level Jane Siberry reveals in Hush comes forth delicately and colorfully as each rendition of the traditional music in Hush is embraced with a sweet reminiscence of hearing and learning these songs in childhood. Her lack of commercialism is to be applauded: just straightforward beautiful music. Hush opened the door for Jane's latest effort, SHUSHAN the Palace, and proves that beautiful music is as everlasting and genuine as those artists who attempt to carry on the tradition of setting the emotion of words and music into song and verse. This highly personalized collection of the songs is a welcome relief for the ears and the soul. The calmness and warmth of this collection left me wanting to hear more. I seriously doubt if any of the corporate labels would have released this CD, which is their loss, and would have been ours have it not been for SHEEBA RECORDS (check out www.sheeba.ca - recordings by Jane Siberry that are listed as "out of print on Amazon, are available there)."