Oh, My Darling - Basia Bulat
Thu 23 October 2008
Emma Taylor, Bachelor of Journalism
From its opening notes Basia Bulat’s debut album, Oh, My Darling, is a whimsical ride, evoking images of lazy summer afternoons and evenings and was recently nominated for the 2008 Polaris Music Prize.
The album has a modest run time of 35 minutes, each song merging into the next with their sweet melodies and clever lyrics, which often hide a darker undertone. Though the subject matter of the songs ranges over well trod lyrical territory; the perils of relationships and lost love, they remain fresh and insightful.
Bulat’s voice, which seems well matured beyond her 24 years, can be likened to British singer Laura Marling and fellow Canadian Martha Wainwright, in its warm depth.
The two standout tracks are the slightly slower songs Little Waltz and Snakes and Ladders, while the title track, Oh, My Darling, provides a burst of acoustic-guitar driven energy which is carried through the rest of the album.
Bulat grew up surrounded by music, first learning piano at the age of three before turning to the ukulele, banjo and autoharp, the latter of which make up the bulk of the instrumentation on Oh, My Darling.
The album was recorded with a group of friends in the summer of 2006 as a memoir of a time Bulat called the best of her life.
After even one listen I can guarantee that Bulat’s songs will be stuck in your head for days and they’ll be quite welcome to stay there.
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