This Way is a record which resides in the world of its creator who carefully crafts calming lullabies to sing her memories to sleep. Naturalistic images are frequently repeated, as are constant references to moving whether it be a literal form of transportation or the movement that one makes as they journey through their life. The narrative quality of the songs is heightened by the frequent use of first names in place of the musically traditional pronoun: “you”. It seems obvious that this is a personal recording.
The skill and quality of the music on this album came as a pleasant surprise to me. When I received the CD in the mail, I found myself dreading the review due to the incredibly clichéd cover art which looks as if the least substantive portion of a Thomas Kinkade painting was cropped and enlarged. I guess this is proof-positive not to judge a book by its cover (or an album by its artwork). Unfortunately, for many people this is easier said than done. I am here to ask you to give this album a listen before you dismiss it outright.
The debut CD by Sheila Mac Donald exudes a gentle, peaceful ambiance which at its best can be quite beautiful and at its worse slightly monotonous. On a song by song basis, each track works admirably but when the album is taken as a whole, some songs begin to blend together and, as a listener, I find myself wishing for a change in tempo or tone. It is more than likely that this reaction is slightly influenced by my surroundings. More than once, Mac Donald makes references to autumn and life in Florida (where I live) largely resides in a repeated cycle of Springs and Summers which do little to put me in the mood for an entire album of lulling, pastoral folk music.
My favorite song on the album is the opening title track: “This Way”. It does a wonderful job of setting the mood for the album with its engaging instrumentation and fascinating, slightly abstract lyrics:
And I walk up this hill with you
Almost every night
Though I see all that you
cannot
There’s a seeping of midnight
From the corner, from the
corner
Of my eye, of my eye
The lyrics are delivered expressively through Mac Donald’s intriguing voice. It has a simple, plain-spoken quality which brings an authenticity to her songs and when she adds backing harmonies, it is often strikingly enjoyable.
Mac Donald’s performance on the album consists of guitar and voice but each song is enhanced by the additional instrumentation added by her producer: Raymond Gonzalez. Gonzalez dresses many songs with additional guitar, bass, mandolin and keyboards; this in addition to the violin playing by Pam Kuras, works to add some much needed compositional diversity.
This Way clearly illustrates Sheila Mac Donald’s skills as a songwriter. While I found the album to drag a bit at times, I still feel it is a very strong artistic statement and overall an enjoyable auditory experience. Anyone with an interest in folk music will do well to pick this up and give it a deserved listen.
