Search - Carrie Newcomer :: The Age of Possibility

'Age of Possibility' is possibly Carrie's best album...

Elizabeth M.Tobey | Middleburg, VA USA | 08/16/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After listening to Carrie Newcomer's new CD, "The Age of Possibility," for the very first time, I knew that I liked it, but wasn't quite sure what to think. It's taken several listenings for the album to have its full effect. Of all Carrie's albums, this one has an abundance of beautifully- produced songs with complex arrangements. It's easy to get caught up in the rhythm and melody of these songs. But like any well-crafted work of art, these songs yield more and more through repeated listening. The lyrics shimmer through the sound - lines that leap out to catch your attention and cause reflection. The opening track, "When It's Gone It's Gone," ponders how our actions become tomorrow's history, and like those who have come before us who have touched our lives, we have a chance to leave a positive mark: "When it's gone, it's gone/ But the echoes just go on and on and on/ We send it out like our breath/ And somebody takes it in, somebody takes it in/ Someone""Tornado Alley," which is musically quite similar to "Take it Around Again" (from "My True Name") addresses a similiar theme of taking chances in an unstable and unpredictable world. Carrie once introduced this song in concert by posing the question of why anyone would live in a place where disaster can suddenly drop out of the sky. The tornadoes of the Midwest become a metaphor for everything in our life that is unpredictable; still, we choose to go forward with our lives despite the danger around us.My favorite song on this album that has not previously appeared on her concert album, "Bare to the Bone," is "Threads," a song inspired by Carol Shields' "The Stone Diaries." As Carrie explains in the liner notes, it is a song about connections. The melody is as textured and rich a tapestry as the threads of friendship that Carrie recounts in the song."Sparrow," "Bare to the Bone," "Just Like Downtown," and "Anything Like Wings," spare and lovely on her concert album, are enhanced by their arrangements on "Age of Possibility." The crisp interlacing of the piano and guitar on "Bare to the Bone" are like a fine setting of a jewel- showing the beauty of Carrie's lyrics without overpowering them."Sparrow" is possibly the best song Carrie has ever written. It is almost prayer-like in its language, though it speaks of human love: "I have searched all the wise and the unwise places/ I have known the price of passion/ And what solitude can buy/ But it was you I was looking for in all those faces/ Always you I was hoping for/ When I closed my eyes."The only disappointment on this album is "It's Not Okay." It's not a bad song, it just seems to be somewhat muddled in its direction. It's hard to figure out what has happened to trigger the ranting in the song, and the lyrics lack the originality of most of Carrie's work. But there is so much good material on this album, it does not take away from the whole.Altogether, this is an excellent album. Carrie Newcomer's generosity (both literal and spiritual- she donates a portion of her proceeds to worthy causes), warmth, and wisdom, comes through clear in this album. In the final track of the album, "This Too Will Pass," Carrie sings reassuringly: "We're more tender than some would believe/ And we still find it hard to ask for what we need."I find myself returning again and again to Carrie's music, for inspiration, and for reassurance. Carrie's voice is a comfort, and through her words and music, she gives us, her listeners, the understanding and beauty that we all need."

Her best CD yet

Patrice Webb | 09/02/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've been a fan of Carrie's for going-on 7 years now and love all of her CDs. However, I think this is the best one yet--a great set of songs with intelligent lyrics and wonderful music. I own in the neighborhood of 400 CDs, and this might be my favorite of all of them. The Amazon review is right on target--I can't imagine that anyone wouldn't love this CD. Highest recommendation!"

A Celebration of the Heart....

Patrice Webb | Georgetown, California USA | 12/05/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"On this CD, With its soulful blend of pop, rock, and folk, Carrie Newcomer presents a collection of songs designed to mine the deeper places of the heart. These are songs that say time and time again that the ability to know love involves allowing yourself to become vulnerable - to surrender and accept what love has to offer without pretense. These are songs that say that while the journey through life may be hard and full of rocky places it is still worthwhile and that love is worth knowing."Love is Wide" reminds us that truly loving someone as your soulmate means accepting them for who they really are - for "what's smooth, ragged and raw", and that love also means that you have nothing to hide. In "Threads" Newcomer sings of how the loved ones of today and yesterday bind us together with threads that keep us together through all of the hurts and hardships life has to offer and that it is this togetherness that ultimately brings us joy. "Just like Downtown" speaks about accepting the things about yourself that you cannot change.Carrie Newcomer is a storyteller who's gospel of hope invites you in to stay for the duration resulting in music that should have a wide appeal to those who appreciate thoughtfulness and grace in the music they listen to."