The stage was set in her hometown of Nevada City, CA, a historically creative community in which artists have flourished over the ages, where MARIEE SIOUX intertwined the vivid verse she had been writing as a child with th... more »e life lessons she has learned as an adult for this powerful record. Her roots had been planted deep in music through the love of her mandolin-playing father, but it was not until MARIEE ventured a life-changing trip to Patagonia at the age of 17 that she began to play an instrument herself. She soon perfected the spry, delicate finger picking guitar technique featured on Faces in the Rocks, a faultless accompaniment to her strong yet sweetly cooing vocals, and toured internationally with her adoring compatriots BRIGHTBLACK MORNING LIGHT. Featuring Grammy-nominee GENTLE THUNDER'S enchanting sound on a redwood-carved Native American flute as well as her own famed father GARY SOBONYA on mandolin, MARIEE recorded Faces in May 2007 with a troupe of Nevada City's talented musicians. Recorded with the intent of aligning the magnificence of the human voice with the universe's creative energy, each song is a stirring exploration of life. Her tales range from the profundity of friendship on the single "Friendboats" to the yearning of self-understanding on "Bundles," each laced with fabled images and poignant verse. "Two Tongues at One Time," recently released on a rare 7" vinyl, is a sonnet-filled homage to the ancestors who traversed the wild lands of America hundreds of years ago, reminding listeners of our vital ties to our past. Continuing the folk tradition of songwriting greats such as JONI MITCHELL, KATE WOLF and NICK DRAKE, Faces glorifies an appreciation of the working spirit and the oneness of nature that remains timeless.« less
The stage was set in her hometown of Nevada City, CA, a historically creative community in which artists have flourished over the ages, where MARIEE SIOUX intertwined the vivid verse she had been writing as a child with the life lessons she has learned as an adult for this powerful record. Her roots had been planted deep in music through the love of her mandolin-playing father, but it was not until MARIEE ventured a life-changing trip to Patagonia at the age of 17 that she began to play an instrument herself. She soon perfected the spry, delicate finger picking guitar technique featured on Faces in the Rocks, a faultless accompaniment to her strong yet sweetly cooing vocals, and toured internationally with her adoring compatriots BRIGHTBLACK MORNING LIGHT. Featuring Grammy-nominee GENTLE THUNDER'S enchanting sound on a redwood-carved Native American flute as well as her own famed father GARY SOBONYA on mandolin, MARIEE recorded Faces in May 2007 with a troupe of Nevada City's talented musicians. Recorded with the intent of aligning the magnificence of the human voice with the universe's creative energy, each song is a stirring exploration of life. Her tales range from the profundity of friendship on the single "Friendboats" to the yearning of self-understanding on "Bundles," each laced with fabled images and poignant verse. "Two Tongues at One Time," recently released on a rare 7" vinyl, is a sonnet-filled homage to the ancestors who traversed the wild lands of America hundreds of years ago, reminding listeners of our vital ties to our past. Continuing the folk tradition of songwriting greats such as JONI MITCHELL, KATE WOLF and NICK DRAKE, Faces glorifies an appreciation of the working spirit and the oneness of nature that remains timeless.
CD Reviews
A Great New Talent.
William J. Walker | England | 11/20/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I discovered this album quite by chance and what a stunning find it has turned out to be. I hesitate at the use the phrase 'album of the year' but I think it is the strongest and most original album by a female artist in 2007.
The music on this album is certainly very different to the standard singer-songwriter fare. The pieces are quite long(eight songs on a fifty minute album, the shortest is five minutes long)and intricate musically and lyrically. The songs are very rich in imagery and gorgeously melodic.
Despite their length the songs never drag, holding the attention throughout and allowing you to drift off into the places conjured by her words.
The guitar playing has an easy fluidity that brings to mind Nick Drake. However the artist she reminds me of the most is Joanna Newsom and the comparisons are unavoidable(no harp though)but where as "Ys" has a certain fantastical air to it this album is rooted in nature and has a rather earthy solidity. The music centers on the rhythm of the guitar and her beautiful voice and is supported by a variety of acoustic instruments.
This is a fantastic album by a major new artist. Get it NOW!"
Faces in the Rocks
Y. Holland | California | 10/23/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I really enjoy this CD, it has a unique sound and style. A mixture of Sarah McLachlan and Mazzy Star with Native American themes and imagery is my best try to describe! My favorite songs are, "Buried in Teeth" and, "Wild Eyes.""
Impressive
dgthomas | Amherst, NY, USA | 10/15/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Discovered her on Pandora.com, and promptly bought her EP, "A Bundled Bundle of Bundles", an amazing, haunting, deeply moving album. This is her first full-length release, and re-envisions some of the more sparsely recorded songs from the EP, and adds more. Both are worth owning. I don't seem to ever tire of this music. Voice and guitar and ancient spirits floating around your room. You can sample her music at her myspace page."
Magical
M. Tilton | Kansas | 09/18/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Mariee Sioux's music is some of the most beautiful and enchanting I have ever heard. Every song is like a ritual and the spells and spirits that are conjured up fill you and change you. It feels like her voice and poetry come straight from the ancient Earth. I would recommend this album to anyone who is open to magic and who loves the Earth and our fellow beings like sacred family."
Perfect album for a quiet rainy evening or a day lolling in
BMAC. | Sebastopol, CA | 02/09/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Mariee Sioux's voice is like young Buffy Saint Marie's, another beautifully voiced singer-songwriter who anchors her music in her Native American heritage. I first heard "Wizard Flurry Home" on a college radio station while driving home in a blizzard, but I lost the signal before I could find out who the song was by. The song struck me so strongly that as soon as I got home I got online and looked up the playlist.
This is a sweet, dreamy album that creates a contemplative, primordial mood. I disagree with those who compare Mariee Sioux to mainstream pop singers. There is an "eccentric" quality to this music that I don't think could ever be highly commercial, which is part of why I like it. Her metaphors and images are definitely antediluvian and earthy in a way that reminds me of authentic folktales (blood, dirt, rotting forest floors, rain, ancestors...).
I give the album 4 out of 5 stars because there is a slightly repetitive, circular quality to the album as a whole. This quality does create a bit of a trance state, which I enjoy."