A found masterpiece......If you're like me and have never paid any interest to KD Lang before now and have not heard any of her stuff except 'Constant Craving', then read on. I stumbled upon this album a couple of months after it had been released. As usual, I searched YouTube for any tracks on there to get a first impression and to see if I wanted to investigate further. I also watched a recent interview with KD, interspersed with tracks from Watershed. I heard 'I Dream Of Spring' and really liked it. I thought I'd download the full album and give it a listen.
I love it! It is full of delicate acoustic guitars and beautiful strings (but not overbearing), as well as soft percussion. The best thing though, is KD's voice. It is some of the most sensual singing I have ever heard. The lyrics and the general feel is a combination of yearning melancholy and comforting worldliness. The album has cohesion, but you can also play individual songs on their own. It is brilliant.
WatershedFrom start to finish this is an exceptional cd. A truly sultry voice, reminicent of Rita Coolidge from years ago. I loved it from the first, playing it over and over again, never tiring of the haunting melodies, and a voice oozing sexiness and feeling. Definitely one for the late night seduction playlist.
Strong sound, weakish songsThere's a lot to like about this album. kd's voice is beyond reproach, and she keeps things smooth and restrained throughout, which I like, never approaching the 'Constant Wailing' that marrs some of her work. This is just personal preference of course, but I definitely prefer the more laid-back kd.
Production is good too, and the backings are lush and interesting, somewhat reminiscent of 'Ingenue' at times, but this is no bad thing. It really is a very musical album. Almost easy listening, you could say.
If there's a problem for me, it's that none of the songs really stand out from each other. It's almost like it's the same song all the way through. Mostly it's quite a good song, thankfully, but everything does blur into a musical melange. Which of course may have been the intention.
Having said that, 'Sunday' does stand out as being a pretty weak song.
Take this for what it is, a homogenous hour or so of sound from kd lang that washes very nicely over you, and you won't be disappointed. If you're looking for a bunch of great songs too, you might well be disappointed.
A Watershed that leads nowhereThis is the first LP by K D Lang that I have bought. Indeed, I was not familiar with her until very recently as a result of the publicity surrounding the release of Watershed. The publicity and the reviews of Watershed placed Ms Lang among the great and serious female singers of popular music. So I chided myself for never having heard of her and off I went and ordered Watershed. My experience is that Watershed does no live up to the hype.
It is clear that Ms Lang has some musical ability. She co-writes all of the songs apart from one: "Once in a While" which is solely written by her. She plays a range of instruments from guitar, keyboards, percussion, harp, to banjo. She has a fine ensemble of musicians backing her and she takes a lead in producing the LP.
Having acknowledged that ability what nonetheless is produced is an LP where the tone of the music remains mellow throughout all eleven songs. Ms Lang's voice remained in the same melancholy register which meant that the LP lacked a varied emotional range and intensity.
Watershed is made up of a collection of songs with sparse lyrics. Which meant that Ms Lang has to over reprise verses and choruses. For example, the lyrics of the song "Once in a While" were sang in about one minute and twenty seconds but the song is extended to three minutes and twenty two seconds. For me this meant that the songs lacked a sense of depth and therefore hardly engaged me. The only song that came alive for me was "Flame of the Uninspired" which has some good lyrics, and backing vocals that added some intensity lacking in the other songs.
Ms Lang has been categorised as a country singer. This may well be justified from her previous LPs. However, in terms of this LP it should be placed among the LPs on the easy listening shelf. Indeed, Ms Lang sounds very much like her compatriot, Anne Murray.
Watershed's theme, if there is one, is an intropective search for meaning in life. There is nothing wrong with such a grand theme but the problem is that the lyrics of these songs do not lend themselves to such weighty issues which in turn makes the LP a little pretentious. I was greatly disappointed with this LP and despite what is said elsewhere it does not live up to the hype that stimulated my interest.
Classic KD Lang.Just listened to Watershed for the first time today. This is a stunningly good album. Life is too short to be without it.
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