 |
 Caught in the Carousel - Music Reviews and More
|
Broken Poets
Everything in Nature
Wordvendor Records
Everything in Nature is dedicated "to promoting a more global consciousness in regards to our relationship with nature and ourselves." Recalling the melodic and lyrical style of early '70s singer-songwriters like Gordon Lightfoot, Cat Stevens and Bob Dylan, Everything in Nature gets under one's skin with grand, brooding tracks.
Tim McDonald and Svetlana Antropova are the heart of Broken Poets, currently based in Phoenix. Everything in Nature is their third release.
McDonald admits to Dylan's influence in his songwriting, and "To Dream of Another Life" and "Last Resurrection of the First Bob Dylan" are both references to that influence. Lyrics play with the political and personal. In "Love for What's Real," McDonald asks, "…and what's left here to chance if our fate's never wrong …" Meanwhile, in "The Message," "…in this world of give and take, you must never take too much…" could apply equally to the waste of our natural resources or to the damage we do to ourselves and our interpersonal relationships. You decide the meaning, and that's the strength of McDonald's writing.
Antropova's arrangements provide a strong counterpoint to McDonald's lyrics, and she is a bright strength on the CD. Under someone less bold, the music would have ended up insipid and quaintly dated. Powerful performances are also served up by sidemen Russ Phaneuf and Marcus Howard.
Broken Poets backs their commitment to their ideals by devoting 50% of sales from Everything in Nature to Greenpeace, The Natural Resources Defense Council, and Oxfam.
—Lyn Dunagan
Can we help you find something?