Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By Colleen Brown, Flatcar 2022.
I’ve brought you a number of albums from Canadian Colleen Brown and each has been very good.
She is a prolific songwriter and recorder of music; Winging It is the third album from her that I’ve reviewed since the pandemic began.
The other two being Isolation Songs (2020) and Home (2021). She has released 12 albums so far.
Colleen hails from Edmonton, Alberta, where she studied music at the Grant MacEwan College in the vocal performance program, and on graduating sang and danced at the now defunct Kit Kat Club, which had a large show band that covered music of the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s.
She released her first album, A Peculiar Thing, in 2004 but it was her follow up that gained her popularity.
Foot In Heart was released in 2008 and reached number two in the Folk/Roots/Blues charts and spent six weeks in the top ten.
The album was picked up by Deadly Daisy Records and re-released in 2010 and two singles from the album (Boyfriend, Love You Baby) were played in heavy rotation on CBS radio.
As well as being a skilled pianist Colleen is also a multi-instrumentalist playing guitar and bass.
Her solid early musical education, and big band experience, have stood her in good stead as she’s extremely adaptable performing everything from folk and country through to big band and jazz as well as pop and rock and roll.
Winging It sees her in singer/songwriter mode. Most of the songs are ballads and they’re concerned with changing relationships.
Songs like I’m Leaving (And It’s Okay) and Happy On My Own seem to speak from personal experience.
The album comes across as intimate and personal but it’s not at all downcast and depressing.
The quality of the songs and performances allow the listener to feel the heartache and anguish but still soar along with the music.
It’s a skilled craftsman or woman who can achieve this, and Colleen Brown is certainly musically skilled.
I’m writing this review on a rainy day while listening to the album and the mood suits the weather conditions perfectly.
