The River Grand
Nonie Crete
Independent
1999
14 tracks
Musicians I know sometimes create cassettes or compact discs to demonstrate their skills and style of music to bar owners and other potential employers. Having made the original recording, they will then have extra copies manufactured which they'll sell off the stage at performances. The River Grand in a number of aspects sounds like just such a demo for Nonie Crete.
The selection of songs on this release is eclectic in both content and sound, leading the listener through a gamut of emotions and musical genres. This is not a bad thing. It does, however, create an opportunity for the listener to gravitate toward certain songs while paying little or no attention to others, depending on the listener's personal taste. On the other hand, for the listener who seeks out variety, this release is a treat.
If there's anything that holds this release together and gives it some unity, it's that Nonie Crete is a consummate storyteller. Her lyrics are tightly written gems of the storyteller's art, carrying the listener in and out of a range of personal worlds and emotions. It may be only my imagination, but I hear a certain Leonard Cohen influence in several of the songs, in both the lyrics and the musical structures underlying them.
In many of the songs, Crete's voice and singing style remind me very much of Nana Mouskouri. This impression is certainly reinforced by her use of arrangements and instrumentation that echo the European and Mediterranean pop music of thirty or forty years ago. "Love Gone Wrong" is an excellent example of Crete in this Mouskouri mode.
"Tommy - The Charming Deceiver" does not stand up well when set against the other songs on this release. The melody and arrangement here has a hokey country backbeat highlighted by Andy Griffith whistling that conflicts with the story being told. The lyrics themselves seem forced, lacking the subtlety of which Crete is clearly capable. On its own, this song might stand up quite well. Set against Crete's other work, it sounds as though it were recorded one rewrite too soon.
While she appears to be presenting herself as a folk singer, Crete is at her best when she sings the blues. "The Hardest Time" is a classic country blues in the tradition of "The Night Time is the Right Time" or "Night Life." This is a song of loss and loneliness, sung with feeling one might expect of a Laverne Baker or Ruth Brown.
Another song with a bluesy feel to it, without actually being a blues, is "The Trouble." This is also the song which best epitomizes Crete's Leonard Cohen mode. Here her lyrics are tight and evocative, with not quite the power -- the edge -- of a Cohen lyric, but coming very close. The arrangement, including background vocals, has very much the sound of some of the earlier Cohen recordings. This is one of the best songs on this release.
Over all, this release has a very country feel to it, moderated by the European sound of many of the arrangements. "Mr. Diamond," "Johnny Kept Me Dancing," and "Set Me Free" especially have the feel of the sort of traditional country music many people now call folk.
Like an increasing number of Canadian singer/songwriter releases, The River Grand, rather than feature a bunch of sound-alike songs, emphasises variety that highlights the diverse talents of the artist. This release would make an interesting addition to the libraries of those interested in seeing the direction independent folk music is going.
Those interested in learning more about Nonie Crete can look her up at her home page.
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