Search - April Verch :: Take Me Back

A very impressive album and commanding statement of her indi

J. Ross | Roseburg, OR USA | 02/26/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Playing Time - 52:44 -- "Take Me Back" gives April Verch plenty room to strut her stuff as she journeys on both traditional and contemporary roads. Written by Julie Miller, the title cut allows April's captivating vocals to speak to removing some of the weight from her shoulders. By track two (the nearly 6-minute "Grand Slaque"), we hear an entire different side of April - that of lyrical fiddler in the finest French Canadian tradition with notes that bounce like ping pong balls. A step dancer herself, her fiddling is "reel-y" enjoyable. The set makes a contemporary turn with Claire Lynch and Missy Raines' "All in a Night" that incorporates drums and electric guitar. Another instrumental, "Monarch," is a jazz composition that wafts like a butterfly in a summer breeze. Thus, these four numbers alone show what we're in for on the entire album - many adventurous jaunts. Musically moving hither and thitherward, April demonstrates great versatility and skill. Some listeners, however, may find the set's flow a bit disjointed or lacking coherence due to the broad spectrum covered.



April Verch really likes to mix it up a bit. Her displays of both virtuoso musicianship and pleasant vocalizing are best for those with eclectic musical preferences. "I Still Cry" is a remarkably powerful slow love song. What large jumps we make to the aural experience of "Eclipse" (fiddle and piano bursting with pep), to "Bride of Jesus" (slow mournful singing), to "Loggers in the Short Grass" (another very danceable instrumental). Texas fiddling styles are captured in "Tennessee Wagoner," that shares breaks with guitar, piano, and even string bass. "Cruel Moon" is another slower song with dreamy electric guitar, and the set's transition to a more lilting instrumental "Seven Years" works well. "Tom, Brad & Alice" demonstrates old-time sensibilities as the fluid fiddle and frailing banjo speak to each other. "This Ottawa Valley," is a fun closer in ¾-time that pays tribute to her home and incorporates the sounds of a party going on at the recording session.



Produced by Dirk Powell and recorded in Louisiana, "Take Me Back" shows that April Verch is a musician of many talents and interests. Performing since a kid, April is the first woman to win both the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Championship and Canadian Open Fiddle Championship. She was only 14 (in 1992) when she recorded her first solo album. On the Rounder label, "Verchuosity" (2001) and "From Where I Stand" (2003) featured old-time, Brazilian, and contemporary music. "Take Me Back" has even greater eclecticism as some of Verch's previous work didn't include as much singing. Verch's extensive interests and abilities make this a very impressive album. It's a commanding statement of her individuality. Akin to the well-rounded and discriminating nature of Americana music, I'd have to say that April Verch's musical expedition is into new, refreshing and similar territory - let's just call it "Canadicana" for lack of a better term. (Joe Ross, Roseburg, OR.)

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