Categories : Music Reviews, Rock + Pop.
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Rating: 3.5/5 Released: July 11, 2006 Reviewer: David Coats |
The pull between realism and idealism, pessimism and hope, and good and evil are played out in countless ways every day. The best artists are the ones who observe, tell us something of who we are, and inspire us with what we are capable of becoming, and few have done this as successfully as Bruce Cockburn. Going back to the early 1970s, Cockburn has been consistently writing impacting, high-quality songs, and if his new record, Life Short Call Now is any indication, he isn’t slowing down.
Musically, the record displays some of the softer side of Cockburn, as most of the songs are built around emotionally introspective melodies, several of which, unfortunately, lack some urgency and identification. Moreover, Cockburn plays with a 23-piece orchestra, and Cockburn has fewer opportunities to demonstrate his musicianship (fortunately, a handful of instrumental selections are featured, the best being the experimental ‘Nude Descending A Staircase’). On the other hand, it’s something new for Cockburn (not having recorded with an orchestra before), and it also allows for a balanced sound rich in subtleties, such as the jazz trumpet at the close of the title track and the expansive gem ‘To Fit In My Heart’. A number of high-profile artists make vocal contributions to the project, including Ani DiFranco on ‘See You Tomorrow’ (a surprisingly spiritual song, rather than the display of social consciousness firepower listeners might expect). Lyrically, Cockburn demonstrates his trademark balance of spiritual optimism and hope for humankind (the wonderfully communal ‘Mystery’), frank assessments of western culture (‘Slow Down Fast’), and critiques of the state of the world (‘Beautiful Creatures’). His vitriol doesn’t really surface until ‘Slow Down Fast’ and especially the unnerving ‘This Is Baghdad’ (“Carbombed and carjacked and kidnapped and shot / How do you like it, this freedom we brought?”).
Not his best work, but Cockburn continues to fulfill his artistic purpose. Bruce Cockburn remains among the best singer/songwriters in Canada.
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