Filmed Live at: Come2Go, 323 W. Baker St. Fort Wayne, IN
For a current schedule of concerts at C2G please go to: come2go.org/con...
Bio( cont. from Come 2GoMinistries KZfaq account - Eilen Jewel - If You Catch Me Stealin' )
Theres a lot of styles of music that I love equally, Jewell says, and I come from all of them. For this record, I had a clear sense of a sound I wanted to hear, and somehow I was able to communicate that to the band. Thats rare for meI usually just let the song go but these songs were telling me they had to be done a certain way.
Together for almost four years now, Jewells basic band has been variously augmented on their previous albums, and formed the heart of the American gospel supergroup the Sacred Shakers, who released a self-titled album on Signature Sounds in 2008. Sea of Tears, however, features just the core quartet, a conscious decision on Jewells part to keep the sound lean and, in its darker moments, daringly stark. The absence of fiddle, heard prominently on Letters from Sinners and Strangers, actually widens the bands range allowing them to move seamlessly between genres, even to combine styles more fluidly than previously. To this sound, Jewell responds with nine original songs that boldly stare down rejection, denial, and change.
I had a dream about the title track, she recalls. and when I woke up, I was able to remember my dream and the song wrote itself. I wish I could have more dreams like that Sea of Tears wraps a bitter, confrontational missive in a sinuous, sultry groove punctuated by Millers slashing guitar. In the role of a woman ignored, Jewell doesnt howl she looks the object of her affection straight in the eye and plainly, firmly states that without him, Its gonna be a sea of tears for me / Its gonna be a life of misery. The effect is disarmingly powerful an unadorned but undiminished statement of single-minded devotion.
In contrast to the title tracks seething rhythmic undercurrent, Nowhere in No Time (a song Jewell has been carrying with her for years, but is just now being heard) rides a gently swinging country beat, rendered with the minimalist clarity of a Sun Records country 45. Elsewhere, such as on the swaggering, blues-informed My Final Hour, Jewell introduces a new color the Hammond B-3 which she had never played before. The piano was my first instrument and my first love, she says, but so far normal piano hasnt come up on any of my records! On Sea of Tears, the organ bridges the gap between the Vox-fueled garage rock of the early British invasion and grinding, organ-driven American R&B and soul.
The intensity and urgency felt throughout the record is partly owed to Jewells chosen subjects and partly to the uncluttered, unencumbered recording process. These songs were finished in the brink of time, and mostly delivered to the band on the eve of the sessions, leaving no time for the performances to become rote. Last year I did a lot of hotel writing, coming up with bits and pieces, Jewell says. I think I work well under pressure, and if Im not under pressure I dont work at all! I dont need the pressure of an album to start songs, but I need it to finish them.
The guys are good with picking stuff up right away, and making it sound natural, she continues. This album was recorded pretty much live, with very little post-production. The material was very fresh.
Alongside Jewells own songs, there are three outside numbers that point to much of the inspiration behind Sea of Tears. Im Gonna Dress in Black is a churning lament gleaned from Van Morrisons Them, who recorded it originally in 1965. Loretta Lynns Darkest Day is a classic honky-tonk stomp by one of Jewells biggest influences, whom Jewell was able to open for in 2007. Most intriguingly, however, is a version of the early British rocknroll standard Shakin All Over. Rarely tackled by female singers, Jewells clattering, simmering version is equally sensual and ominous.