Park Hills Circle – All of a Sudden
While not exactly Enya, this has a little more flex. Melodies are ethereal & atmospheric, but not as eccentric & intense as Kate Bush. This is Chicago singer Maris O’Tierney’s (guitar/synths/piano) debut album, which has a gentle, airy tone that’s all spirit & polish on her 10-cut All of a Sudden (Drops July 10/Pravda Records/34:24), produced by Park Hills Circle (the band) & Michael MacDonald (bass on “Company We Keep”).
Ms. O’Tierney manages to utilize wonderful duetting & stacked vocal harmonies with her own voice on “Softly Calling Your Name,” & the soft progressive rock/World music applications are appealing. What makes Maris different from similar singers is her avoidance of spacey themes, fairy tale subjects, & showboating vocal endeavors. Instead, she has well-thought-out lyrics that are applied to the musical scope with skill. “Unspoke” is like water but not with splashes, just gentle instrumental & vocal waves.
This album uses synths but never as a special effect. Fingerstyle guitar & Dustin Laurenzi’s warm sax fill out the musicality Maris negotiates. Yes, the influences may have been opera & classical music. The effort draws its musical lift more from sounds emanating from artists like the Paul Winter Consort (Susan Osborne singing “Lay Down Your Burden”). It’s World Music, a touch of Irish mysticism, folk stylizations of Sandy Denny, Maddy Prior, Mary Hopkin & Judith Durham.
On “Company We Keep,” despite its breezy vocal intonations, Maris briefly shows that her ability as a jazzy, middle-of-the-road, easy-listening piano-bar vocalist is possible. The group itself is quite proficient & though Park Hills Circle should focus on songs that can be more relatable & steer clear of possibly pretentious music (which this can dangerously approach if not presented carefully).
“Playing With Fire,” however, is ideal. Upbeat, with a wedding soup of voices layered & added beautifully & tastefully. Maris’ voice is captivating. Almost Americana with an Irish flair tangled in its classical wires. Excellent.
A bit edgier is “The Way Up,” which is haunting, classical-pop & mood-inspiring. This vocalizing can appeal to a broad range of tastes. The light Laurenzi sax adds the necessary smoky jazz tint. Park Hills Circle has some keenly dramatic moments (“All of a Sudden”) in this set, but it’s Maris O’Tierney’s subtle influences & arrangements that are the glue. The music is imbued with her presence & that’s where the magic rises.
Highlights – “Clearing,” “Spring Is Here,” “Softly Calling Your Name,” “Unspoke,” “Company We Keep,” “Playing With Fire,” “The Way Up” & “All of a Sudden.”
Musicians – Matt Ulery (bass), Quin Kirchner (percussion) & Aaron Otheim (synths/piano).
A 12pp stitched lyric insert is included. Color image courtesy of Maren Celest. CD @ Amazon & MVD Shop + https://www.parkhillscirclemusic.com/