Wow, this one surprised me. You ever do a Google search on your name? I just did one today to ensure that I hadn’t missed a cd review from all the Edgework cds I sent out a few months back.
This one blew me away, not only because of the negative tone of it but because of who actually wrote it. Funny how a journalist who recently just did a great article about me in the Ottawa Citizen would then go and butcher my album in a cd review. You can’t please everyone. This is actually the first time I’m getting bad press in my career. I’m going to take it as a sign of things going in the right direction although that can be hard when you read reviews like this! Too bad Fateema missed the magic of this album. Glad others haven’t.
Here it is:
Ottawa Citizen
Edgework Rating 2
Rozalind MacPhail (Independent)
There are two styles at play here: singer-songwriter tunes compete with mind-opening experimental ones. Unfortunately, Rozalind MacPhail gives us too few of the latter.
The former Ottawa musician, now in Victoria, B.C., succeeds on three tracks; Baba’s Unite Us All, Feeling Frisky and the title track. They meld acoustic sounds (flute, glock, guitars) with electronics and a looping pedal, and play out as interludes between the love letters that occupy most of the disc.
It’s an unfortunate imbalance, as MacPhail’s spun-out, folkie flute soundscapes are an interesting avenue. The songwriter stuff, with diarist lines like, “I’m going to be on my own/ I’m going to let you go,” are too shopworn to offer fresh insight. MacPhail should head in the other direction full force.
Fateema Sayani
Wow eh? The good news is that I just found out that I’ll be touring Europe next November. I’m so excited! A German promoter really likes Edgework and wants to get me touring over there as soon as possible.
One door closes, another door opens…