I think I may have a new favorite band.
I bought my first Great Big Sea CD yesterday (actually, their Great Big DVD & CD).
Overall, the music is difficult to classify. Some might call it rock, some folk, some Celtic, and some country. And depending on the song, it could be any--or even all--of those. Sea shanties, soaring love ballads, high-spirited just-gotta-have-fun pattersong jam-outs: all are fair game for this group. And that is what reveals their true classification, that of the little-known, easily overlooked but wonderful Maritime music. Native to the Atlantic provinces of Canada, this music combines a variety of styles and influences, making a whole greater than the sum of its parts. At its best, it takes the high energy and humor of punk-pop but trades the electric guitars for accordions.
Great Big Sea can sing. Alan Doyle's rich baritone anchors many of the songs, while Sean McCann, who sings a lyrical tenor backup, takes over with a sailor's bellow on the shanties. Their unaccompanied men's quartet can be stunning. Just as surprising is seeing all four skillfully take up their guitars for their next song (Bob Hallett switching out for a variety of other instruments as the song demands: on the Great Big DVD, he also plays the violin, accordion, mandolin and pennywhistle). The beauty of the music alone can very nearly bring me to tears.
Add GBS's thoughtful and thought-provoking lyrics, and you have a winning combination. Many of the songs appear to be based on relationships and attempts to maintain or reconcile them. Others are simply a siren song to enjoying life, even in its most mundane moments. Most intriguing to me are the bursts of, in my opinion, strongly Christian ideas mixed into the middle of a love song or sunny summer piece. I'll warn you that the lyrics can sometimes get a bit racy, but keep in mind that those are the traditional pieces!
Yes, I bought my first Great Big Sea CD yesterday. I can see myself buying all of them.
Posted by jonhanneman at February 27, 2005 12:47 PM