CD Review: Sarah McLachlan---Shine On

[David Dalton]

Sarah McLachlan's new CD Shine On, released on May 6, is one of
her best CDs yet. All of the songs on the CD are strong, so
I would advise you to get the whole album and not just one
or two songs. On the CD there is a majority of ballads but
also some rocking songs and some songs that combine the
two (angry or seething ballads).

In Yours Shoes is a rocking song of empowerment of girls and
women, partly inspired by Malala Yousafzai. It is the first
single from the album, but though I like it, it isn't my
favourite song on the CD.

Flesh and Blood is passionate torch song, also fairly rocking,
with soaring vocals, about a fiery love that overpowers her.

Monsters, which is my current second favourite song on the
CD, is a swinging autobiographical fairy tale song .

Broken Heart is one of many lovely ballads on the CD,
with sad lyrics and great vocals, and is my current
favourite song on the CD.

Surrender and Certainty is a sultry jazz song.

Song For My Father is a poignant tribute to her recently
deceased father, and a good song for the upcoming
Father's Day.

Turn the Lights Down Low is a song of love between
two people when things are rough, and is mid-tempo
with a touch of electric guitar and drums, so I would
call it a seething ballad of two against the world.

Love Beside Me is an angry ballad, again with a
rocking backing, about leaving the past behind and
moving on after a bad relationship.

Brink of Destruction is another lovely ballad, and
would make a good slow dance song. It is
about coming through fire together and finding
a new path.

Beautiful Girl is another song of empowerment of
girls, an anti-bullying song, a song of encouragement,
with some lovely piano and vocal work

The Sound That Love Makes is a happy ukulele
song that leaves you in a good mood at tthe
end of the regular CD.

On the deluxe CD there are two more beautiful
ballads, What's It Gonna Take and Little B.
The first was originally in King Kong and
the second is a perky children's song.

--
David Dalton dal...@nfld.com http://www.nfld.com/~dalton (home page)
http://www.nfld.com/~dalton/dtales.html Salmon on the Thorns (mystic page)
"This could be the final breath/This is life and death/
This is hard rock and water/Out here between wind and flame/
Between tears and elation/Lies a secret nation" (Ron Hynes)