The Journey with Jesus: Music Reviews
Music Reviews by David Werther
Music review posted 7 March 2011
The Wailin' Jennys, Bright Morning Stars (Red House Records, 2011)
The Wailin' Jennys (Ruth Moody, Nicky Mehta and Heather Masse) shine on Bright Morning Stars. This traditional song is the CD's centerpiece, preceded by six, and followed by six more, original songs. Each member contributes four songs, taking the lead vocal on her contributions. The singing, individually and collectively, has been described as achingly beautiful. It is. While each member has a lovely, strong voice, when their voices combine, they simply soar. That much vocal talent no doubt provides a producer with a real challenge — finding instrumentation to give the singing just the right setting. Producers Mark Howard and David Travers-Smith succeed brilliantly, with the fiddle on Masse's "Bird Song," and the flugel horn (played by Smith) in her song "Across the Sea." Throughout the CD the accompaniment is essential, complementing but never competing with the vocals. The Jennys refer to their musicians as "fantastic." The accolade is well deserved. That said, their vocals are the heart of this recording; a line from Metha's "Last Goodbye," captures the overall effect of this collection: "I'll sing you back home."