CD Review

by Bob McKillop

Meg Hutchinson’s voice haunts the songs on this disc, and fills them with a soft, hypnotic texture.  Child-like and innocent in its timbre and tone, with whispered and breathy phrase endings, she reminds me a little of Lori McKenna, for the uniqueness of her vocal approach.

 She is closer to a poet than a lyricist; she employs imagery and metaphor and suggestion, with an almost imperceptible meter; rhymes are optional.  Her songs feel like waking dreams, and she walks us through them and shows us the symbols and totems, and lets us bring them back to our own consciousness.

Her acoustic guitar rings in the background, grounding the harmonies augmented by piano, organ, and electric and nylon string guitars.  This record was produced by Crit Harmon; he has mastered the understated female singer-songwriter genre (Lori McKenna, Mary Gauthier).  The tracks are low-key, focused on the lyrics, and carefully mixed.

 

“Home” is about healing, about coming back from a low point.  The verses are poignant reflections on the dark places returned from, and the chorus is a gently triumphant celebration of arriving back at authenticity.

“But I’ve been getting better these days,

And I’ve been sleeping in my own bed again,

And I’ve been dreaming in full color,

Goodbye sorrow, I’ve found another way to stay”

The title track, “Come Up Full”, is a tender groove with a tinge of jazz.  Hutchinson tours a harbor setting and a fisherman’s life; the mood is reflective and introspective.  She infuses the mood with a waiting, a plea for patience, for faith in a good ending.

“So go drag your boat to the water,

Just when you swear it off,

Those nets are gonna

Come up full”.

I enjoyed the songwriting, and I love Meg’s voice.  Each of these songs is a great listen; but the cumulative effect across a dozen tracks can be just a tad tedious.  Hutchinson might work on injecting some variety into the mood, tempo, and tone of her songs, and perhaps become more of a risk-taker vocally.

Red House Records has found another significant songwriting and performance talent for their considerable stable of artists.  Meg Hutchinson will fit in well with the label’s portfolio, and the experience is likely to season her songwriting into a more mature and diverse offering. 

Meg will be opening for Jonathan Kingham at the terrific Maple Room in Lewiston, Maine, on March 22.  I’ve seen her open concerts for Peter Mulvey and Steve Forbert, and she does a great job.  She’s a nice bonus on top of Kingham’s first rate show.  You can purchase her CD “Come Up Full” at her shows, or directly from Red House Records.  You’ll also want to visit Meg’s personal website at www.meghutchinson.com.