Sara Pace by Sara Pace

At its most joyous, on "Hard to Imagine" it's bouncy and infectious but, ultimately, not really all that happy-just beautiful.

DIY Record Reviews by Clay Steakley

****

RICK'S CAFÉ

South Central Wisconsin's Local Music Newsletter

(Vol. 1 No. 5) May 9, 2003

Review by: Rick Tvedt, Editor

http://www.rickscafe.org

Sara Pace has written a great album. Beautifully recorded by Lance Ketterer at Digital Glass studio in Mazomanie (WI), "self-titled", Pace's first recording, radiates sincerity and wisdom beyond her years. Acoustic guitars, provided by Pace and her musical partner (and now husband) Doug Milks, are the main backdrop for these folk tales, which are sparingly augmented by violin, steel guitar, and in some cases, bass and drums, leaving plenty of space for Pace's sweetly intoned stories. It's an exercise in understatement that works both musically and lyrically. Pace's voice at once sounds both Midwestern and Kentuckian, a smooth alto that underscores the beckoning nature of her songs. Never delving too far into country, and exposing shades of a more alt-country sensibility, 'self titled' comes off as a folk rocker's resignation to self-restraint.

Recurring themes in these songs are aging and reflection and Pace mines these thoroughly and effectively. "Lay My Body Down," one of the most compelling on the disc, find's Pace's vocal sounding genuine and emotional, contemplating life and coming straight form the soul. The standout track has to be "Politeness," which Pace has stated was written after a bout of writer's block, when she finally stopped looking for excuses and started pointing the finger at herself: "All I could use is a little less politeness/ A little less politeness/ And a little more pedal steel guitar." As one might guess the song is treated with some great pedal steel, courtesy of Mark Krutke, who also turns in stellar performances on "Gilman Avenue" (perhaps my favorite track for personal reasons) and "Hard To Imagine," another ode to growing old. Biff Blumfumgagnge provides some excellent and haunting violin on "More Real" and "Starlight," a song that further exemplifies Pace's confessional lyric style: "Now I like the nighttime/ The shine of a star/ Look closely at it/ And heaven don't seem so far/ But I despise the morning light/ The ring of alarm bells/ get up, go to work/ And spend the whole day in hell." It's a song about loneliness and loss and it's beautifully stated. "Walk With Me" sums up the CD best with just Pace and Milks' guitars behind the vocal, a love song that closes the album very nicely.

Average Customer Review: