Humminah
Kim Barlow
$20.00 CAD
"The first time I saw Brian he had moose blood all over his hands, I’d never loved a red neck hunter before, so I thought I’d give it a try." From the title track from her debut CD Humminah
" A refreshing, winsome, sweet-voiced painting of people, dogs, weirdos, beatniks and whatever else Barlow has encountered on her northern relocation" Kerry Gold, Vancouver Sun
" Her debut CD just bristles with quirky, intelligent charm. Even her throwaway lines seem alive with irony and keen observation. This debut disc is truly innovative…a nearly perfect showcase for talent worthy of wider recognition, north and south of the border." Hank Davis, Goldmine Magazine
" She’s found a new and useful role for the cello in folk music: rather than ornament her songs with atmospheric bowing, she plucks at her instrument to produce a sound that’s part bass, part rhythm guitar, and altogether compelling." Alexander Varty, The Georgia Straight
This is edgy folk with jagged lyrics riding above lively banjo, guitar, and cello. Barlow’s voice has a warmth and vitality that bring her sharp, smart words to life. This unpretentious contemporary music gives candid insight into a Northern lifestyle, without painting false images or feeding off stereotypes.
Humminah is a personal, down-to-earth, yet unconventional recording. Barlow has mastered the marriage of story with sound. The experiences she encounters are woven into songs and their intricate beauty and simplicity have lasting impact. Each track is a distinct entity, yet sustained by the common thread of Kim’s haunting melodies and emotionally engaging vocals.
Kim Barlow delivers a powerhouse of songs that leave listeners hungry for more. She touches on lost loves, scorned rejection, justice/revenge to law breakers, laments the passing of time, reflects the ageing of loved ones, survives a tumultuous, stormy night with friends, and reasserts her humanity while undergoing transformation as a new parent in a soothing lullabye.
A substantial offering for a debut disc, Kim Barlow’s talents have been recognized this past summer with the Stan Roger’s Golden Quill Award for Songwriting.
Instrumentally, this album incorporates Kim’s multi-faceted musicianship with her on electric guitar, fingerpicking acoustic guitar, clawhammer banjo, and is rounded out by her unique approach to the cello. The addition of marimba, played by Andrea McColeman, to cello in Grandfather Song gives added delicacy to the fluid nature of this lullabye. The extreme violin played by guest musician Jesse Zubot achieves the atmospheric, nervous tension in Hurricane Jane. Ballad for a Drunk Driver is a lament with added twang by Bruce Bergman’s dobro and harmony vocals.
