Megan Bee – Fiction
I usually listen intently to music I need to review once in the evening, take notes & listen again in the morning before I write copy. I’m a little behind lately so this Megan Bee set got its first listen early in the morning, train going by, birds chirping. It was quite appropriate for brisk morning listening with hot coffee, & oatmeal with cinnamon. “Sweeter Things,” “Deepest Blue,” & “Wait For Me,” are marvelously warm & absorbing songs, like a big comforter that wraps around your body to save you from shivering.
Megan Bee’s voice is country-comforting, ok, here comes the drama, in a purifying way. What do I mean? She doesn’t have a twangy voice, just an Alison Krauss-type gently caressing tone. Perfect for the juvenile hours of a new born day. “Fiction” with its pecking piano notes & strings wraps itself around cold ears. Megan’s whispery voice is right in there…talking just to me… smooth as cotton with her gratifying, reassuring sound. It continues uniquely through each tune. “Part of the Mystery” is lovely & Megan’s voice isn’t superficial, showboating or sassy. It’s probably what a baby’s young ears hear when its mother sings.
There are 10 aurally satisfying original tunes to Fiction (Dropped Oct 10/Independent/34:34) as produced by Eddie Ashworth (mandolin/harmonium/organ) in Ohio, Illinois & Pennsylvania. The songs are mature & focus on what’s good about living, its mysteries, its beauties & appreciating the intimacy of life.
It’s wiser to listen to Megan Bee (vocals/acoustic guitar/piano/Wurlitzer) than listen to the news nightly on TV. I think the LP is called “fiction” because everything Megan sings about is so wonderful that most would consider it hard to believe, like fiction. How can such an ugly world still be so wonderous? Because it is & an artist like Megan Bee will remind you.
The entire showcase is intimate; expressive & has atmosphere built into its sincerity. More in a Sarah McLachlan-style is “The Invention of TV,” with its more mainstream sound. While not as inventive as previous tunes, Megan negotiates the commercial terrain with class, chiming acoustic guitars & mandolin with layered harmonics. “A Soft Place To Land,” is a credible ballad despite its ethereal sonics & mellow narrative. Somewhat gliding through an Alison Moorer territory.
The final track is a piano nourished tune “Wait For Me,” which is superb. This should be home for Megan. She performs these with an effective signature style & she’s delightful.
Highlights – “Sweeter Things,” “Deepest Blue,” “Fiction,” “Part of the Mystery,” “Now I Know,” “The Invention of TV,” “Soft Place To Land,” & “Wait For Me.”
Musicians – John Borchard (pedal steel/electric & baritone guitars), Chris Justice (bass), Ammed Solomon (drums/percussion), Kate Wakefield (cello), Caitlin Kraus, JJ & Bill Passalacqua (bgv).
Color image courtesy of Chad Cochran. CD @ Bandcamp & https://meganbeemusic.com/
Enjoy some of our previous coverage here: Song Premiere: Megan Bee “Deepest Blue”