Canadian singer-songwriter Basia Bulat makes a big leap onto the music scene with her debut Oh, My Darling, a lush album practically brimming over with joy and wonder. Anchored by the disc's first single, "In The Night," which plays like the merriest of romps through a nighttime wonderland, this young artist (who recently toured as a background singer for The Veils) has a natural sense of melody and whimsy that permeates just about every note on the album.
Bulat may not be as moody as Feist or as cerebral as Joni Mitchell, but this scrappy Canadian looks to make her own mark by singing straight from the gut. Whether her slightly husky vocals are swaying through the 1,2,3 count of a song called "Little Waltz" or spiraling upward on the radiant "La-Da-Da," Bulat's voice never loses that warm, girl-next-door quality. If there's one slight misstep on Oh, My Darling, it's in allowing the production values on a few of the tunes to overtake the vocals. "I Was A Daughter" marches along like a pop parade with enough of a folksy quality to make you want to hum and, in fact, march right along. But when you add in strings, the song turns into a case of where less would have been so much more.
Overall though, the album is full of solid songs that sail straight to the heart. The whimsical "The Pilgriming Vine" (a strong candidate for the second single) is a windswept, playful tune with a homespun, Wall of Sound feel that bounces right along, while "Birds of Paradise" needs only Bulat's voice and a guitar to shine. Whether she's keeping it simple or pulling out all of the stops, Basia Bulat is a welcome addition to the ever-changing, but never-ending pantheon of great Canadian artists. |