Kristin Sweetland

About five years ago, I wrote a rave review of Canadian Kristin Sweetland's debut album. In that review, I said, “If this is the root, I look forward to seeing the flower; I suspect it’ll be something special.”Well, we finally have a first look at the flower; Sweetland has finally released her follow-up CD, Own Sweet Time. The question is – what does it smell like?

(We shall now pause to give the metaphor a moment to recover, O Ye DV Faithful. I rather ran that sucker into the ground, didn’t I?)

Sweetland is still producing mature, intelligent music far beyond her years. The liner notes alone are a hilarious, saddening, thought-provoking, and quirky expansion of where she was when she wrote the songs, and even if half the stories are true she lives a more interesting life than any ten of us. Her guitar playing is still incredible – flexible, supple, and amazingly diverse, the strings chiming and growling like stars.

The difference is harder to quantify. If I had to stick my neck out and name it, I’d say that Own Sweet Time is much more a folk album, first and foremost. There are some rock and pop elements, especially on “Lily” and “Glorious Enemy,” but on the whole, Sweetland’s sound seems more firmly based in an acoustic tradition. She’s also matured as a songwriter; there are astonishing turns of phrase on this album that left me breathless in their ability to paint a picture or tell a story. “Hotel Esmeralda,” “The Fox Fires,” and “Xanadu” are all first and foremost works of literature that happen to involve great music. Add in the excellent instrumentals of “Vanquished” and “Three Pipe Night” (which in my universe gets bonus points for referring to Sherlock Holmes) and you have a solid work that left me wanting more.

If I have a complaint – and it’s a minor one – it’s that the closing track, “The Compass Rose,” seemed a rough stylistic fit at best after the raucous, joyous harmony vocals of “La Fin Du Monde.” I don’t know if I would have swapped the tracks or just left “Rose” off, but the transition seemed a little awkward to me, and “Rose” is not as strong a track as preceding songs.

Kristin Sweetland did, indeed, take her Own Sweet Time on this, and the wait was worth it. I hope it’s not five years until the next bloom on the rose.

- Duke Egbert

Première qualité, déjà : contrairement à ces autres chanteuse canadiennes qui pensent que chanter c’est brailler à s’arracher la gorge (vous voyez de qui je veux parler, René ?), la belle Kristin a la voix douce des fées qui prennent le temps de vous séduire, vous rendant complètement marteau rien qu’après le premier titre. Car la voix de Kristin est comme une vague de fond, un tsunami de tendresse et de caresses vocales. Seconde qualité : la belle n’a pas que la voix, elle a aussi les yeux, les cheveux, la ligne, bref le physique qui fait craquer les hommes, et cela ne vous procure pas qu’un demi-atout, comme le dit ma concierge. Troisième qualité : la Miss écrit et compose tous ses titres et c’est là que vous prenez la plus belle des baffes car les 12 titres proposés sont tous de grande qualité. Premier de la liste, ‘Burial at Sea’ résume à lui seul ce que sera l’opus : sublime. Tout y est léger et infiniment beau, depuis le toucher de guitare jusqu’à la voix, sans oublier la qualité du son, incroyablement sensuel et léger, le tout produit par le sorcier Ken Whiteley que l’on retrouve à la basse, à la slide guitar, à la mandoline, à la guitare-sitar, au claviers, à la guitare acoustique et classique, et à l’accordéon. Un sorcier, vous dis-je… !

Ecrit sur la Route 1, dans le nord de l’Ontario, au milieu de nulle part, ‘Gone, Gone, Gone’ est comme tous les autres titres de Kristin, un moment de vie, un moment de sa vie, et c’est sans doute pourquoi le disque vous prend là, aux tripes, parce non seulement la belle vous charme mais en plus elle vous fait partager une tranche de sa vie. Y’a des chanteuses canadiennes qu’avaient décidément rien compris, n’est-ce pas René ?
C’est à New York, en novembre 2005 que Kristin compose ‘Glorious Enemy’, en écoutant la radio et en vibrant au son d’une valse tandis qu’elle ‘voit’ des ennemis aux sirènes dont on parle dans le poste. Car le monde de Kristin est ainsi fait, de magie et de rêves, et de musique aussi. Le refrain de ‘Glorious Enemy’ vous emporte dans le rêve, avec cette musicalité qui n’ira pas sans rappeler le premier (et immense) album de Cockney Rebel avec le fameux ‘Sebastian’. Même présence du violon, même intensité émotionnelle que Kristin vous balaye ensuite d’un sourire en vous chantant ‘Red Rain’, en souvenir de cette pluie qui tomba sur Kerala, en Inde, en 2001, une pluie rouge que l’on pensait avoir été provoquée par de la poussière de météorite. L’orchestration est superbe, avec Ken Whiteley à la guitare-sitar, Emie Tallar à la flûte Bansuri, Kristin à la guitare acoustique et Ben Grossman aux percussions et triangle.

Moment exceptionnel ensuite que ce titre cent pour cent musical qu’est ‘Vanguished’ et joué par Kristin, seule à la guitare acoustique. C’est sans doute là, à la moitié de l’opus que vous vous pincez et reprenez un double scotch tant la claque est monumentale car Kristin est seule dans le studio et le morceau signé et interprété par la Miss est réellement super !

‘The Fox Fires’, sur un rythme enjoué et avec Kristin au banjo a été écrit pour le mariage de sa meilleure amie, Jenny, en souvenir des bons moments partagés dans les Blue Ridge Mountains de Virginie. Plus électrique, ‘Lily’ montre que la belle a aussi goût et matière à injecter plus d’électricité dans son registre tandis que ‘Hotel Esmeralda’ vous offre une chanson plus hispanisante en souvenir d’un passage mémorable dans la cave d’un club parisien où jouaient des joueurs de guitare flamenco et de cette vision de Notre-Dame, de nuit, depuis sa chambre d’hôtel. Paris sera toujours Paris,…et sera toujours source d’inspiration à ceux qui ont du talent. Un talent que la belle Kristin fait jaillir dans le titre suivant, ‘Xanadu’, où les intonations de la Miss n’iront pas sans rappeler ceux de la divine Kate Bush.

Composé à Amsterdam, en mai 2005, ‘Three Pipe Night’ est le second instrumental signé Kristin Sweetland, avec notamment Ben Grossman au udu et George Koller à la double basse : un titre qui fera le bonheur des compilations pour bars très lounge ou pour grands hôtels classieux où l’atmosphère et l’ambiance valent le même poids que le prix des suites, un titre immensément cool, tout simplement.
Est-ce l’influence de la ville, Montréal, ou cette expérience incroyable d’avoir rencontré un homme portant une valisette à peine une minute avant que l’horloge ne sonne l’heure exacte – et d’avoir ainsi imaginé en une fraction de seconde que la valisette pouvait être piégée et donc la fin de sa vie… ? Dans ‘La fin du monde’ Kristin joue sur les mots : entre des paroles en anglais c’est un refrain en français qui revient (ou plus exactement une seule phrase), prenant effet/excuse sur un ‘la la la la la’ des plus classiques.
Mais quelque part ‘La fin du monde’ annonce également la fin du disque qui s’achève sur ‘The Compass Rose’ dans lequel la cornemuse relie le Canada à l’Ecosse, comme pour mieux boucler la boucle de ce périple musical.

Que dire de plus si ce n’est que Bad Reputation nous propose là une artiste sublime. Y’a des jours, comme cela, où l’on tombe amoureux d’une voix, d’une silhouette dévoilée sur papier glacé, de tout ce qui fait d’une chanteuse une femme d’exception et que l’on n’imagine plus pouvoir vivre sans elle. - Frankie Bluesy Pfeiffer

As young Canadian talent, Kristin Sweetland knows how important it is to have an individual style. Combine her beautifully flawless fingerpicking, amazing vocal tone, thought provoking lyrics, and her sunny disposition, it's very easy to see this chick is in a league all her own.

After purchasing her first guitar to match her red lipstick at age 13, Kristin embarked on a path that led her ultimately to the Ugly Mug Cafe today to chat with Kat (woo that rhymes) and be the focus of our Music Lounge segment this week. It was lucky that she had time to meet me as she is playing at the Home County Folk Festival in Victoria Park this weekend. And Kristin is definitely not a stranger to the festival life. In fact she's preformed in no less that 8 different festivals this summer alone. She's also been recognized by the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals for her song "Clementine" when it won the "Songs from the Heart" contest.

Kat's Thoughts -

Her debut album - Entitled "Root, Heart, and Crown", it was released by Arbora Vita Music (a company Kristin founded and runs) in October of 2002, and guess what? It's one of the most passionate and emotive albums I've come across in a long time. She is an old soul with much to share. Take a listen and you'll understand what I mean.

The Music Lounge Performance - She played two songs for us, and after experiencing the first, I can easily say Kristin has an unbelievable gift for playing the guitar. I want to take lessons from her. She makes it look as easy as flipping a page in a book. Her style is quick but smooth. The instrumental piece she played was musically satisfying while at the same time making you want to see what kind voice she's got in her. And we were not waiting long, for the second tune, Lady Sweetland treated us to an emotional aural extravaganza. Her voice is strong, yet sweet, and her tone was bang on. What a stellar performer!

My Advice - Go to her website at www.kristinsweetland.com, and buy her new album! You can't go wrong. Then be sure to check her out at the Eaglewood Folk Festival in Pefferlaw, Ontario on the August 22nd weekend, or at the Peterborough Folk Festival on August 24th.

Rating:
A stellar 5 outta 5..... You go girl! - Kat McMorrow

ROOT, HEART, AND CROWN
Kristin Sweetland
Arbora Vita Music, 2002

Reminiscent of the work of Loreena McKennitt, Ontario-born Kristin Sweetland provides extensive liner notes on her debut, Root, Heart, and Crown, explaining the though process behind each song. That, however, is where the similarity ends; while McKennitt is shadow and mist and ephemera, Sweetland's work is more reminiscent of sunlight, open grassland, and substance. She is astonishingly talented; her guitar playing is crystalline and crisp, her songwriting complex and textured, and her voice expressive, alternately wry and poignant. Root, Heart, and Crown is a truly impressive debut.



(Hey, O Ye DV Faithful, don't you love it when you get my opinion out of the way in the first paragraph?)



The inspiration for Sweetland's songs are legion and wildly varied. The opening track, "O Quanta Qualia", is a reworking of a hymn of 15th century French scholar Peter Abelard, and the following song, "The Abbess", is inspired by the love songs shared between Abelard and his long-time love, Heloise. "Battle Hymn" is her tribute inspired by a visit to the American Civil War battlefield at Manassas, Virginia. "Hermetica" is an instrumental whose spark was, of all things, alchemy and the works attributed to the Greek god Hermes. In short, this is lightyears beyond most pop music in terms of its subject matter; Root, Heart, and Crown makes you think, putting you through a mental workout while simultaneously charming you with brilliant guitar work and stellar performances.



For a small-label CD, the production and engineering are excellent. The mix is perfect, focusing primarily on the chime and steel of Sweetland's guitar and the crisp, light percussion. This plays to Sweetland's strengths, especially on instrumentals like "Above Hotevilla", where there is nothing but the perfection of the guitar.



Other tracks worthy of note: "Fall Down The Ground," Sweetland's wrenching love song to Vancouver Island, with the wistful and heartbreaking fiddle work of Anne Lindsay; "O Leander," a clever turn on the stereotypical 'road song' where touring and Greek myth become intertwined; and the driving, chilling "Creeping Jenny," where a traditional ghost story is held up as a mirror in which we see our own desires and hearts reflected.


Kristin Sweetland is, simply put, astonishing. Mature, intelligent, clever, she has the poise of artists with fifteen and twenty CDs under their belt on Root, Heart, and Crown. If this is the root, I look forward to seeing the flower; I suspect it'll be something special.

RATING: A - Duke Egbert

Kristin Sweetland,
Root, Heart & Crown
Arbora Vita Music, 2002

I pressed "play" on Kristin Sweetland's Root, Heart & Crown with some trepidation. I tend to steer clear of historical material and, for that matter, "story songs" in general, and this sprawlingly ambitious disk is full of both. Also, I don't consider myself much of an intellectual, and Root, Heart & Crown is a brainy project if ever there was one. However, the quality of the songs and performances, the range of the material and Sweetland's sheer talent won me over.

A highly-educated, scholarly songwriter, the 27-year-old Sweetland takes her inspiration from the 12th-century letters of Abelard and Heloise, the battlefields of Civil War America, the Greek myth of Hero and Leander, ancient alchemical lore, and occasionally such mundane subjects as the British Columbia landscape and the longing for summer. Even when she's on familiar ground her lyrics have a historical tone: "In dreams we will wander through cedar and alder" (from "Fall on the Ground") and "Hair of gold and skin of snow, lips of rose and a wing of crow" (from "Ladybird"). The disk is clothed in original, medieval-looking artwork and she's photographed as Buffy the Vampire Slayer (or is it Xena?) on the back cover. Whichever, it's an apt image, reflecting both power (to slay the vampires of the music biz?) and persona.

First, the power. Sweetland is a gifted lyricist and composer. Even when the actual meaning of the lyrics eluded me, I was captivated by their poetry. ("Farewell to the man in the black bowler hat/who is walking away through the field/out where the moon glow comes down like a halo/he'll go where the land meets the sea.") I assumed that Sweetland knows what she's talking about and tried not to beat myself up for being, apparently, such an intellectual slouch. In an effort, perhaps, to reduce the distancing effect of her subject matter, she tries to explain things in liner notes. "I have been reading the letters of Abelard and Heloise. It must be a right [sic] of passage for any tortured romantic." (Funny, the tortured romantics I knew just smoked drugs and skipped class.)

But despite the density of the subject matter, Root, Heart & Crown is an accessible and enjoyable listen from start to finish. Ken Whiteley produced the album with consistently tasteful and imaginative arrangements that feature George Koller on bass, Anne Lindsay on violin, Ben Grossman on percussion, harmony vocals from Stephen Fearing and Rebecca Campbell, and Whiteley on electric guitars. Unlike many singer-songwriters, Sweetland is an outstanding guitar player in her own right who has studied the instrument for many years, and two highlights on the disc are her instrumental guitar-based compositions, "Hermetica" and "Chaconne." Also, her voice is both sweet and mature, with a naturalistic edge and a lyrical lilt: kind of a cross between Loreena McKennitt and a young Lucinda Williams.

Overall, the impression I get is that of an enormously talented young woman who has a definite artistic vision and the wherewithal to take it as far as it will go -- which may be pretty far. Root, Heart & Crown takes the Canadian historical folk-song form and ratchets it up a notch, adding more edge and more commercial appeal.

But back to the persona. The only thing missing, for me, is a shade more immediacy and personal truth. That is to say, I sense that there may be a tendency for Sweetland to hide behind the beautiful language and mythic tales, intriguing as they are. For that reason, perhaps, I loved the simplicity of the traditional closing song, "Bright Morning Star." In fact, I was just about to mention Emmylou Harris (and her talent for blending the traditional with the contemporary in an honest and powerful way) when I noticed that Sweetland (in those liner notes again) mentions her. Sweetland seems to intuitively understand how far -- and in what direction -- she can go. In the meantime, Root, Heart & Crown is a gloriously auspicious debut.

- Joy McKay

INTERVIEW WITH KRISTIN SWEETLAND

Within the works of most great artists, there exists some element of weakness, which they eventually learn to avoid or master.
If Sweetland has any weaknesses along the traditional paths she follows or with the musical hybrids she so ably invents, then she must have dealt with them long ago. This bold young artist's writing skills, vocals and guitar delivery are flawless.
The caliber alone, of the fine artists who've worked with Sweetland is in itself a testimony to her skills.
Enough! Let's explore this goldmine of a mind...

Stephen Fearing is a monster of a guitarist... as are you... any comments on the recording chemistry there?

Stephen is officially one of my very favourite people in the world... kind, caring... very much my hero. On the new album, Stephen sings with me on 3 songs and plays guitar on 1. There's a track with a chorus in Latin (yep, Latin...) and we've tripled his vocals so there's three of him singing with me... the "chanting Stephens". Also, we do a mind-blowing version of the traditional song "Bright Morning Stars" which I learnt from Emmylou Harris. Rebecca Campbell also sings on that.

Some of your vocal inflections, even your promo notes, allude to Shawn Colvin. Have you ever met her?

I've never met Shawn Colvin, though sometimes I feel like I have. Listening to Shawn taught me a lot about songwriting during what was probably the 'formative years' for me. I started playing guitar when I was 13 and I listened to her a lot throughout high school... into University. A great inspiration. She sings on Fearing's new album.

As for my current heroes and inspirations I'm recently very much in love with Nashville singer-songwriter Patty Griffin. She'd for-sure win the award for artist I have listened to most in my car over the past year. My favourite album of hers is 'Living With Ghosts'. Listening to Patty has taught me so much about songwriting, song structure, melody and singing. I could only hope one day to wail like her.

Any tips for aspiring artists on: guitarpicks, fingernails, pre-show meals or beverages?

AAhhh fingernails... now there's a topic I can relate to. I'm the proud owner of 3 acrylic nails on my right hand (middle 3 fingers). These have been my lifesaver. I don't use guitar picks too often. It was getting to the point where my fingernails wore down to paper thin... cracking across the part that still covered my skin (yeow)! Not only do they work like a charm and last forever, they look pretty hot too... and I get to spend the afternoon going to my nail stylist (yep I got a nail stylist)! The rest of my nails I paint with a thick coat of high-quality nail polish & topcoat so they stay stronger. Right now my favourite colour is Vampire State Building by OPI... stays on forever... and looks killer!

As for pre-performance meals and beverages... I don't usually eat much before performing but I've found that tequila really works like a charm.

Any advice for female artists in a male-dominated music industry?

The music industry is a tough business to be in, whether you are a woman or not. I find that many people have a pre-conceived notion of what I'm gonna sound like... expecting me to strum some lamo chord progression and croon some loser song. I enjoy blowing those pre-conceptions right out of the water.

It's hard to get people to pay attention, especially when there are so many singer/songwriters out there. My advice would be persistence. Sometimes it's really important to know when to fade into the darkness. There's always the droolio guys that just wanna grope; the jerk-offs who hate you cause you're a little girl who can play guitar better than them... but who really cares. Stay strong and believe in yourself.

Privacy is vital for the creative process. How do you deal with everyone wanting a piece of your time at any given moment?

You're right. Privacy is key. I usually like to hibernate as I tend to turn into a total freak show... all melodramatic, rolling on the ground screaming... then procrastinating watching lots of Xena ...at some point I realize that I finally have a song... and then I celebrate.

'Goodnight Irene' says a lot. Any comments on this particular song?

When I was a little girl, my dad used to drive me to school. We'd sing in the car. One song was 'Goodnight Irene'. As a teenager on one of my many pilgrimages to the Newport Folk Festival I saw a band called the Nields perform a version of 'Irene'. It was so beautiful I cried and have been playing the song ever since. I love the dark, dark heartwrenchingness of the lyrics and the deep & profound desperation of "if Irene turns her back on me, I'll take morphine and die". Now there's an emotion that I, as the Queen of Melodrama, can relate to. I realize that the lyrics have transitioned or "been cleaned-up" since Leadbelly's original version, "I'll get you in my dreams." They substituted "get" with "see". I think the somewhat aggressive stalker-like quality of that lyric was a bit much for pop culture at the time... they just decided to neuter the song.

In my producer Ken Whiteley's studio there's a poster of Leadbelly looking at the camera with these big intense eyes that seem to be staring into your very soul. Ken says it's Leadbelly saying "Do your best" and it gave me so much strength during my latest recording. I truly did my best.

You are very much involved in the visual artistry on your CD, website...

I've always been a visual artist. I put together a 16-page colour booklet full of original artwork & photos for this CD. Oh-so-talented graphic designer Michael Wrycraft helped me do the layout & certain things beyond my technical comprehension. For my website I've taken over the web-mistress role mostly due to budget.

Please tell us about your new CD.

It's called 'Root, Heart & Crown', produced by the wonderful & talented Ken Whiteley. We started the project last October, recording three songs for grant & loan application (rec'd $0).

I was honored to have some of the most stellar players in the country participate in this project... {ed: Ken W, Stephen Fearing, George Koller, Anne Lindsay, David Direnzo, Roman Borys, Ben Grossman, Sarah McElcheran, Rebecca Campbell.}

It was all mixed n' mastered by early May. I'm so happy with the finished product, 14 tracks... {ed: Gregorian chant by Peter Abelard; 'Chaconne' by J.S. Bach... plus 11 originals}...

Beyond medieval tragic love, my album thematically covers alchemy, civil war battles, witchcraft, Vancouver Island landscapes, Appalachian ghost legends, forest fires, exploding minefields, gypsies, Arizona desert canyons, greek mythology and traveling road warrior-ing...
- Barry Newman

Artist: Kristin Sweetland

CD: Root, Heart and Crown

Home: Ontario, CA

Style: Singer-Songwriter, Guitarist

Quote: "Wordcraft, ancient wisdom and flashes of guitar wizardry".

Talent and maturity can often mask the fact a CD is a debut. Displaying wordcraft, ancient wisdom and flashes of guitar wizardry, Kristin Sweetland takes you on a journey through "Root, Heart and Crown" that is at times intense, at others uplifting and sometimes just plain fun.

Kristin, from Ontario, Canada, has created an inspired work of art here. Composed of 11 original tunes, one traditional, one 12th-century Gregorian chant and an arrangement of Bach's 'Chaconne,' this release is at times charming and elegant, at times heavy and at others swirling slowly in the regions of the spiritual world.

Kristin's pretty (sometimes understated) vocals are a good channel for her excellent way with words. She plays a pretty mean acoustic guitar, too. Her influences (listed in her press information) are varied, but there seem to be two instrumentalists conjured up from her own skills: singer-songwriter Patty Larkin and fellow countryman Bruce Cockburn. Kristin's fingerstyle licks and hard chops mixed with softer playing will get -- and keep -- your attention.

Produced by multi-instrumentalist Ken Whiteley and engineered by Nik Tjelios in Ontario, the CD has all the ingredients of a professional quality work done for a major label. Which is a good thing for Kristin's guitar.

In fact, this CD is so good it's almost demands a song-by-song description -- but the highlights will have to suffice (although there may be several, since each tune is excellent).

The CD opens with the aforementioned chant "O Quanta Qualia" (Peter Aberlard, 12th c.) -- a tune about a tortured romance sung in Latin. George Koller and Ken do the drone vocals to perfection. This is something you might not want to hear as you wake up alone in the middle of the night. It's a bit spooky.

"Copper Kettle" is perhaps the best overall tune on the CD. Kristin shows her trend towards an interest in (and a channeling of?) ancient wisdom here. In the liner notes, she explains this tune is about alchemy -- transforming any substance into gold and integrating science, magic, mysticism and religion in the process. Ken's electric slide guitar and Anne Lindsay's fiddle stand out on this tune.

"... Bring me a bed of ashes
A shroud of gold and a crown of lapis
Let me go, let me go
Where the holy water rivers flow
For I am the fire and I am the metal
Bring me the copper kettle ..."

Later, Stephen Fearing brings his unmistakable vocals to support Kristin and company on the slow-moving Civil War tune "Battle Hymn." Appropriately, also, Sarah McElcheran adds a passionate trumpet to the mix. And there is such eloquence (and sadness) in the writing:

"... Under the ceiling of shot and shell
I bang the drum slowly, they rebel yell
Trumpets they blow as the Brigadier comes
We all sing the Battle Cry Freedom

Once twice three times they sound
Darker the night the more crimson the ground
Out on the hillside so many young lay
Called to an early grave ..."

One of the best tunes to showcase her guitar is the gorgeous instrumental "Above Hotevilla." This is about a dream she had of the Southwestern desert (read liner notes). The melody, the mix of minor chords, combination of strumming and fingerpicking, the absence of words -- it all fits together to weave a dreamlike sound of its own. And at 2:31, it's nowhere near long enough. Another tune like this is "Hermetica," which is even more brief at 2:15. But it's two minutes of pure shimmering, stringed and haunting beauty. Ben Grossman (shakers) and George Koller's bass percussion add a rather ancient feel to it.

"Ladybird" is a quick-tempo love song with a lighthearted air about it. This tune is a tribute to her guitar, which she gratefully takes off with after a winter of being restricted by harsh weather. Rebecca Campbell lends a beautiful support harmony while Anne's fiddle weaves playfully around the voices and words.

The lone traditional tune, "Bright Morning Stars," showcases each artist cast for this tune: Kristin, vocals and guitar; George, fretless bass and Stephen's and Rebecca's soaring harmonies.

This CD just has superior quality and craftsmanship written all over it -- instrumentally, lyrically, vocally and technically.

Kristin is one of a kind, to be sure. This CD proves it. The youthful-looking artist (see CD photos) wrote in an email to this reviewer: "I'm 28 actually ... I know I seem little, but I'm a million years old inside ..."

That would explain a lot. - Les Reynolds

Scene and Heard: Witches,
Bugs, and Politicians (Not Dead).

By Pete Harris



If there is no new Harris Radio playlist for July, then the blame will rest squarely with Kristin Sweetland. For since picking up her debut CD "Root, Heart and Crown" after her impromptu appearance at the Living Room, I've not been able to listen to anything else. I'm wondering whether she's cast a spell on me. And it's a legitimate question, since as well as being an outstanding singer/songwriter, Kristin is also a witch.

"Well, I don't use the broomstick so much these days," was Kristin's quip when I asked her about her witchcraft, which she has embraced since childhood in London, Ontario. Instead, her principal means of transport is her van/traveling home Maybelle, in which she has toured North America continuously in recent years.

Musically, her CD is a mixture of Americana, blue grass and old English folk tunes, which showcase Kristin's intricate finger picking guitar style, set among lush arrangements that include banjos, cellos, fiddles and trumpets. Her lyrics draw on both personal road warrior memories and an imagination that's been shaped by research into the romance of Greek mythology, alchemy, ghost stories and even the mysticism of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Xena.

For myself, the standout track is "Battle Hymn," an evocative account of the bloody opening battle of the civil war, with a final verse that brings the past up to date with a connection to more recent horrors. It makes for a moving song for peace. Kristin is on the road now. Check out her gig schedule, and witchcraft, at www.kristinsweetland.com. - WOMANROCK.com