Abi Tapia's 2008 release is fun and full of surprises

CD Review by Bob McKillop

Abi Tapia’s voice is sensuous and full of maturity.  But the playful way she rides the melodies on her 2008 release, “The Beauty in the Ruin”, reveal the child-like wonder and awe that she has for the world. 

The themes in the twelve songs on this disc help reflect that wonder, awe, and fun , too.  Tapia’s writing examines human relationships; she occasionally finds them wanting, but she sings about the joy that they can bring if we take things one moment at a time.

In a couple of these songs, Tapia displays the quintessential songwriter’s talent – turning a theme on it’s head to bring the perspective of the listener around to a different point of view.  She understands song structure well, and the function that a song’s bridge can play in this process.  The album’s opening track, “Another State Line” is a good example. Tapia uses the first two verses to lament the rootless-ness of her early life.  But we find out in the last verse that the constant change in her childhood has prepared her well for the life that she has chosen for herself – that of a touring musician, constantly on the road, crossing countless state lines.

She uses this technique of perspective change more masterfully in a track that appears later in the album, “Just Let Me Go”.  In the first two verses Tapia pleads for freedom from an over-protective mother and a high school boyfriend looking for a wife.  But the bridge and third verse make it clear that these are not truly the chains keeping her in town and away from her dreams: instead, it is her own fear that keeps her in place.

“Everybody’s here for the send off

Bon voyage, hip, hip, hooray

But my feet are like lead, my heart is an anvil

My fear, why do you carry such weight”

In “The Easy Way”, the surprise is subtler, and is not manifested in song structure, but instead, in gradually evolving lyrical narrative.  At first, it seems as though Tapia is singing about the need for a break in the action, a relief from burnout, a sabbatical from the daily grind in order to refresh the energy needed to get through it all. But as the song unfolds, we see that she is just recognizing that her human energy responds more readily to the forces inherent in the natural world than to those acting on her from the commercial and social world. 

“I’m not giving up, I’m just giving in

To something bigger than me

The moon is full I feel gravity’s pull

How could I be stronger than the sea?”

But this album is not all about lyrics, narrative, and structure.  It is a fun album to listen to, with a nice variety of styles and themes.  “Let the Lover Be” has a country two-step beat, and is a triumphant, unconditional celebration of love and its ability to save the world, regardless of who is loving who or why.  “My Miner” is a little melancholy, but it comes across as a sweet love song from a miner’s wife to her husband underground.  “Get It and Go” tells a lover to take what he came for, and leave, because he’s not fooling anyone.  These themes support the title of the album well – they find the “beauty in the ruin” (a line from the track “Flying” on this album.)

The tracks on this record are consistently well arranged, beautifully performed, and expertly engineered and mixed.  Tapia’s guitar tone is always rings brightly through the mix with an emphasis on the high end.  Buzz Evan’s pedal steel guitar engages Tapia’s vocals in a very complimentary conversation throughout the record. He and Eleanor Whitmore on fiddle provide energetic and uplifting instrumental breaks in many of these tunes, allowing us time to integrate the theme of the lyrics while not losing the emotions conveyed in the melody.

Chris Gage of Moon House Records recorded and produced this album, and played electric guitar, a couple of killer mandolin parts, and keyboards (including some subtle but extremely powerful Hammond organ highlights in “The Easy Way”.)  The mix is very clean and the instrumentation is intelligent and not over done in any way.  The tracks sound great from one end of the album to the other, thanks to some great mastering by Fred Remment.

Abi Tapia lived in Portland for a while after college, and before moving to her current home in the music scene in Austin, Texas.  (Late breaking news - Tapia is moving to western Massachusetts this winter!  ed.)   She gigs frequently in Maine; upcoming shows include The North Star Music Café in Portland on February 6 (with Anne Heaton), and The Kennebunk Coffeehouse in Kennebunk on February 14 (opening for Patrick Fitzsimmons).  These are two great opportunities to see this wonderful songwriter and vocalist live and in person.

Her CDs, including this most recent release, “Beauty in the Ruin”, can be purchased at her shows, and directly from her web page.