Dreams of the Washerwomen (CD Review)
Beth Wimmer, NBT - Germany
May 5, 2011
I just listened to Canadian Singer/Songwriter Phyllis Sinclair’s “Dreams of the Washerwomen”. Like Phyllis, my siblings and I are the children of a hard working, single mother. So Phyllis Sinclair’s clear, precise, plaintive voice combined with her intimate observations on growing up and finding strength really hit home for me. The clean, pure, simple yet rich-sounding 10-song album opens with “Washerwoman’s Lament”, an ode to anyone who works hard, repeatedly, doing “simple” work for a living. The song reminds us that simple chores, done daily, are gruelingly exhausting. Yet Sinclair’s solid acoustic guitar and light-hearted, sweet voice spur us through “just another day to carry my load”, bringing to heart deep respect for those who work so physically hard, day in and out. Throughout “Dreams of the Washerwomen” lovely mandolin voicing and sparse yet precise background harmonies add agreement and sometimes levity to Sinclair’s poignant observations. The uncomplicated production, by Canada’s Stew Kirkwood, enhances the important messages of life and struggle and appreciation that Phyllis Sinclair so graciously and intimately shares with us all. “Morning Laughter” is a melodic, kind reminder of the small blessings in life that get us all through. In “Our Side of the Line” a joyful, celebratory homage to home sweet home, the comforting, joyful violin leaves the listener with the smell of fresh cut grass and a grateful appreciation for home. The messages are universal. On “Sunday Best” the sublime accordion solo accompanies perfectly the innocence and questions of a child, remembering how simple and special Sundays always were. The beautiful, electric guitar solo in “Finding Ontario”, along with the slow, steady-train-home feel, really sold me on every reason I could think of to return “home”. With Sinclair’s meditative lyric “little baby bunting it’s time to go a-hunting for home”, I was moved to make my pilgrimage home too. The song that clinched things for me, emotionally, was “Latchkey”. Sinclair’s plaintive, empathetic yet comforting ode to a lost, hurt, young soul, in the form of a scared baby bird, brought to mind the sad and frightening uncertainty of being alone, without parents or guidance. The beautiful string section enrobed and heightened Sinclair’s inspiring plea of understanding and encouragement. “Latchkey” brought tears to my eyes. Phyllis Sinclair’s third album, “Dreams of the Washerwomen”, conveys a powerful and appreciative tribute to small town pleasures, accomplishments, struggles, and acceptance for our lot in life, while time both drags and flies by.
______________________________________
Dreams of the Washerwomen (CD Review)
Oliver di Place- USA
May 2011
Sometimes, the secret to a great arrangement is knowing when to stop. Phyllis Sinclair's Washerwoman's Lament was clearly written on acoustic guitar, and that's the first thing you hear. Sinclair plays a rhythmic strum, and her vocal line has a wonderful folk-gospel feel. Eventually, a mandolin and bass part come in, and there is even some background vocals towards the end. And that's all. Elsewhere on this album, there are some drums, some strings, even accordion. But Washerwoman's Lament opens the album, and it establishes that Sinclair is going to use a light touch with her arrangements. This work is beautiful throughout, but nowhere better than here." Oliver di Place.
______________________________________
Dreams of the Washerwomen (CD Review)
Mike Davie, NetRhythms - UK May 2011
As the daughter of a single parent, Canadian singer-songwriter, Sinclair knows a bit about raising a child and juggling a career, so it's not surprising to find childhood experiences filtering into her songs. The strummed worksong day in the life title track opener, for example, recalls how her mother would take in washing to get the money needed to raise her three kids and care for her own mother, hanging out shirts in 'the merciless cold'. Another Single Day expands the story as a woman prays for the grace to endure 'the crush of the heavy load' while the country influenced Morning Laughter balances the hardship with memories of waking up to the sound of joy, and the jogging Sunday Best remembers why the phrase day of rest took on special meaning for the her and her family. It's not all on the same narrative note. Our Side Of The Line is a brisk rolling wheels tale of a musician's life on the road and the mid-paced Finding Ontario explores the mixed feelings about returning home to discover who you really are. Her songs aren't always about what they immediately appear. The Temptress (Follow Me Down) isn't about some femme fatale but about the effects of booze and while At The End Of The Road paints a picture of a wife waiting for her man to return from the nine to five grind, it's actually about death and reunion, a theme echoed in the closing simple notes and backwoods air of Where Time Stands Still. Sinclair's open heart, compassion and wistful reflectiveness make it well worth adding to the laundry list.
______________________________________
Dreams of the Washerwomen (CD Review)
Uddo Gobbels, Rock Times - Germany
April 14, 2011
If we hadn’t had the review of Canadian Phyllis Sinclair’s previous album, Fathomless Tales from Leviathan’s Hole” in our archive, that was written by my colleague Norbert, I would have known virtually nothing of the fine Phyllis Sinclair. I now know that Dreams of the Washerwomen is not her first, but her third album. Even without this info, one notices immediately, from the first note on, that this CD is going to be minimalist in principle, but made with superb craftsmanship. While musicians are few, the sound sustains Phyllis’ beautiful voice. Vocally she reminds me of Loreena McKennitt, although the music is completely different. She writes classic songs in good, old singer-songwriter tradition; mixed with folk, and a dash of country. Minimal, this CD has a firm charm with some pensive undertones. The opener "Washerwoman's Lament" features very tasteful inlays on the mandolin by Stew Kirkwood, who besides his role as guitarist on the CD, also worked as a producer. The following song, "Another Single Day" immediately breaks pace, accompanied only by piano. Phyllis sings beautifully here. Two or three more upbeat numbers such "Our Side Of The Line" would have served the CD well. Nevertheless, overall, the record is very worth listening to, and provides a great alternative to the usual chart stuff. This is an absolutely first-rate musical piece, even if sometimes quiet. Some of my Rock contemporaries might stamp the CD as unexciting, but friends of singer/songwriters will find this enjoyable to listen to. This album gets you into the world of Phyllis Sinclair. I for one, enjoy replaying her song "Morning Laughter" while relaxing on my balcony with a cold drink.
______________________________________