Meg Baird: Seasons On Earth

Meg Baird
Seasons On Earth
Drag City Records [2011]









Fire Note Says: Meg Baird has a voice you will want to hear.

Album Review:
You may know the voice but not the name as Meg Baird is best recognized as the vocalist in the neo-psych folk group Espers. Now on her sophomore solo record, Baird has expanded her songwriting skills and unlike her debut Dear Companion [2007], which was mostly covers, Seasons On Earth provides eight Baird penned tunes out of the ten. The album is still entrenched in the Americana genre but Baird's atmospheric vocals are the real draw here, while together they are a true winning combination that is highlighted in "The Finder" by the gorgeous pedal steel paired with her siren vocal that turns out astounding. Listeners will also be surprised to hear the covers Baird selected because they might surprise you a bit, as she handles both Mark Almond's "Friends" and House Of Love's "Beatles And The Stones" with the upmost care while easily making them her own. Baird also does not care about length, as she weaves her poetic numbers with the album's track average at over 5 minutes with four songs individually pushing over the 6 minute mark. This allows the listener plenty of time to live with these compositions and leads to a true captivated feeling with Baird's voice. Meg Baird shines as a solo artist on Seasons On Earth and if given the right time and space, it is a record that easily might become your new favorite.

Key Tracks: "Babyon", "Beatles And The Stones", "The Finder"

Bands With Similar Fire:
Beth Orton
Marketa Irglova
Joni Mitchell

Meg Baird Website
Drag City Records

-Reviewed by Christopher Anthony