CD Review - "The Distraction E.P."  -  Marie Moreshead

By Bob McKillop

Marie Moreshead's voice sounds innocent and worldly at the same time.  It has a sweet, yet solid timbre, and she's right on pitch, but the slight tremble and catch as she turns the melodic corners adds a very appealing vulnerability.  And those melodies are delightful - moving up and down her range and register in a varied and surprising way.  Here and there, she somehow throws in some sort of accent or dialect that sounds a little urban, a little UK, a little something.  Maybe a little 1980's vintage Madonna. 

"The Distraction E.P." is her first release, a collection of eight songs, beautifully written, arranged, and sung.  Marie's songwriting is very creative, very conversational, and lots of fun.   These are songs that express the joy, the love, and the hurt of a young woman working her way through the fundamental first experiences of life.

"I Love How" is a wonderful song about being in the moment; enjoying sensual experiences, personal exchanges, music, inner thoughts and ruminations.  A very nice melody comes through a fingerpicked pattern on guitar.  A gentle keyboard part (Pat Lynch) comes in later in the song, providing some harmonic foundation.  Marie doubles her vocal in the chorus, which adds a haunting, blissful quality.  If this tune doesn't make you want to go out and walk barefoot in the grass in the sunshine, or splash around in some puddles in the rain, then your heart must be made of granite.

"I like it when the moon dances

I like it when the sun prances

Off of the water and onto my skin

It freckles me, and it reaches my soul

I'm dripping with happiness, I'm soaked to the bone

It's ridiculous how these waves can have a way with me

And they don't even need to speak

I'm falling in love

Every day, every day

Oooh, I'm falling in love

Every day, every day"

 

"Only Rearrange" kicks off like a metronome measuring out seconds and minutes of a life.  Marie's alternating bass line on guitar drives the song. A ghost of a high hat and rim shot, plus a light kick drum thump, add some meat to the beat, and a melancholy, introspective banjo break sets a sad but resigned mood. Marie's guitar adds some harmony chords near the end of the song.

This is a song about leaving someone behind in immaturity, but not really wanting to.  There is a desire to help, to bring this person along, but a realization that this is impossible.  In the end, none of us change who we are, we only adjust to others in order to get by.

"promise me this, promise me that

You'll keep fighting, and I'll keep writing

I don't wanna be the little girl smiling

Through the bars while inside you're crying

Hold me, save me,

Please change me

Well we don't change

We only rearrange"

"I Won't Be Home" is a kiss-off song to someone who's done Marie wrong.  She's not going to be there to be used anymore. The tune has an old-timey feel to it, with banjo, guitar break, and a twangy vocal; even a little glockenspiel for flavor.  A great melody too.

"You took what you needed, what you wanted

Left me standing there bad

To the bone to the core, I can take it no more

I thought you should know

That the next time you come knocking I won't be home"

 

"Didn't Make It Easy" is a track that makes a great argument for percussion in folk music. The snappy snare/kick shuffle gives this song a nice pop feel; it's fun and breezy.  Marie has written a lot of repetitive lyrics into the song, and it works great, especially with the great melodic hooks that she has built for them.  The last half-minute of the song maybe my favorite segment on the record.  Marie's voice is so joyful, hopeful, expressive, optimistic.  It's just a delightful piece of music.

"I know I didn't make it easy

You know you didn't make it easy

I know I didn't make it easy

You know you didn't make it easy"

Marie over-reaches once in a while on the guitar, especially in some of the more complex intros to these songs.  But her musicianship is essentially intact and impressive.  She accompanies herself very well, and has come up with some great guitar parts for her songs.  She gets some skilled help on guitar in a couple of songs from Pat Lynch, who also contributes on keyboards and banjo.  Dan Capaldi's drum kit is a key player on this disc.  Micah Davis plays guitar, keyboard, bass, and percussion. 

Six of the tracks were recorded by Micah Davis, who shares production credit with Dan Capaldi; Isaac Shainblum recorded "Taxi" and "I Love How"; Marie lists  herself and Pat Lynch as producers for those two songs.  Micah Davis mixed the CD, and James Begley mastered it.  A real team effort, and the disc sounds great.

I loved listening to this CD; it's sweet, deep, fun, and musically, just delightful.  Marie has a knack for vocal styling and melody, two of my favorite components of acoustic music.  I can't wait to hear more from her.

You can catch Marie live on TV on WCSH Channel 6 in Portland, on the "Live from 207" broadcast on June 25, and also at Blue in Portland on July 19.  She has a big show coming up on July 26 at The Waterville Opera House, when she performs along with Anni Clark, Ellen Tipper, and Rachel Grffin.

Purchase "The Distraction CD" at Bull Moose Music stores and on the Bull Moose Music website, or, you can mail $10 to Marie - go to her webpage or MySpace site for more information.