Jane Fallon – Sweet Resilience (Album Review)

Today’s review features Jane Fallon’s new album “Sweet Resilience.”

From writing songs in her playpen as a young child, and through a career teaching English, Jane Fallon has always been a wordsmith and a talented songwriter. Fallon has been called the “quintessential folk storyteller performer.” Her smooth, rich voice has been called “angelic” and “mesmerizing.” Her original songs “combine humor, intelligence, and deep musicality with an artfulness that is unusual.”

Fallon has released 8 musical CD’s and three books. She has won many songwriting awards including the Woody Guthrie Songwriting Competition, The American Songwriter Magazine Lyric Contest, and the South Florida Folk Festival. Her music career has led her from the Clancy Brothers Festival in Ireland to the Port Gamble Festival in Washington. Most recently her songwriting talents have gained recognition from the Braver Angels and Talent is Timeless organizations. Her new album, “Sweet
Resilience,” includes a variety of music, personal stories, uplifting anthems, and societal messages. Sounds enchanting.

So let’s have a listen …

Resilience – nice fingerpicking acoustic guitar riff. Fallon has a nice voice. The theme of the song is that it takes resilience to be your real self in this world. Nice bridge melody in the song. I’m enjoying the finger-picked guitar. I can see this type of song going over well in folk festival song circles.

I Choose Peace – starts with a heavier acoustic guitar strum, with drums. A darker-sounding song. “While some may choose darkness, I choose light.” All of these songs have cleverly written lyrics. The message is a central part of each of Fallon’s songs. I love it when she and the background singer break into a higher register, harmonizing on “I choose love, I choose peace.”

Leaving Carolina – the initial line is a bit cliché – “nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina.” Finger-picked acoustic guitar. Loving the background vocals, they add depth to Fallon’s lovely voice. The song describes some good and bad sides of living in and leaving Carolina.

I Don’t Know Why – starts with a heavier acoustic guitar strum. Clever use of the song title as the first lines of each verse. Fallon has a pleasant voice. The structure of the song is solid, even if this one is not one of my favorites.

Mendocino Girl – Another finger-picked acoustic guitar song about a Mendocino girl ending up in New York City. The lyrics contrast the lights and commotion of the big city with her Mendocino redwood roots. A second guitar steps in to play some interesting lead guitar lines. Small town girl that wound up in NYC “where the buildings are higher than my heating bills.” [As a personal note, I live in Humboldt County, the next county North of Mendocino County on the Northern Coast of California.]

Not Even Maralago – starts with an interesting lead guitar intro. This song is a political statement – rich v. poor, citizen v. immigrant – you get the picture. I like the lyrics about climate change and that “not even Maralago” will escape. “These houses are not for the likes of us.” Floods rolling in.

Cotton Jenny – very nice guitar intro on this one and a little more reverb on the voice. Sounds like a male background singer. “Love go round, joyful sound.” Very nice lead guitar picking on this song. Well-written love song.

Leaving Wisdom – sounds like a slide guitar in the intro of this song. Some nice picturesque lyrics in this song. A song about a nomad and America. I’m really enjoying these folk songs. Reminds me of my formative guitar player years sitting around a campfire in folk song circles, trading songs. Loving the reference to Steinbeck in this song. A well-researched writer. Definitely a dobro or slide guitar throughout this song, nice performance.

Mama Can I Go to School Today – starts with a dark finger-picked acoustic guitar. Loving the lead guitar lines in this song. The songwriting on this one reminds me of Slaid Cleeves. Some sad tales in a very well-written song.

Montague Street – starts with a brighter acoustic guitar motif. I like the chord changes and the electric lead guitar in this song. The instruments, including the voice, play off each other, creating a very tasty composition.

Little Single Wide – Very nice slide guitar starts this one off. Here, Jane’s voice sounds in a lower octave. A song about life in a single-wide trailer and packing up the memories. Lovely song with very impactful lyrics.

Blood Money – starts with a nice, simple, but effective electric lead guitar solo, over the acoustic guitar strumming away. Very heavy lyrics in this song. A song about selling your soul. I like the simple drums in this song. And the electric lead guitar is very tastefully played throughout the song. “You can’t wash your hands of blood money.”

Where the River Meets the Trees – this song starts with a cello and acoustic guitar on “the beautiful green river” … “and talk about the house you’d build for me, where the river meets the trees.” I like songs that paint a lovely picture with words. The cello really makes this song.

You Put a Spell On Me – I have to admit I thought this was going to be a cover version of the famous song with this title. But instead, I was pleasantly surprised at this unique folk composition. I like the lyrical interplay using discussions of witches and wizards, druids, and other mythical creatures casting spells and creating an enchanting vision.

Me and Stevie Z – starts with an acoustic guitar and a short electric guitar lead. I like how when she mentions “mandolin” in the lyrics, one appears in the song. “I got up on the stage and did my thing, and got some applause for the songs I chose to sing.” And being in love with the mandolin player.

SCORE/Excellent: Jane Fallon’s new album “Sweet Resilience” is packed full of clever and complex songwriting, tasteful performances, and nice production. If you like sitting in on a campfire song circle, you will love this album. Much love, Beth

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