Sarah Jarosz - Undercurrent

Rating: 5/5

Review:
A very fine album

Sarah Jarosz is a class act.  She's a fine musician, an excellent songwriter and a very good singer, all of which are in evidence here. 

I thought her last album, Build Me Up From Bones was one of the best of 2013.  Undercurrent (quite an apt title, I think) is rather different in character – quieter and more contemplative overall, with several tracks featuring Sarah Jarosz playing and singing solo.  It takes a bit of getting into, I found, because it doesn’t always have the immediacy of, say, Over The Edge or Gone Too Soon, but after half-a-dozen listens, I'm hooked.  These songs are beautifully crafted musically, and often have very good lyrics.  They are personal and varied, with tender celebrations of love, harsh break-up songs (the excellent House Of Mercy) and yearning hints at reconciliation in the lovely, haunting Lost Dog.  There are some excellent collaborations, including with Aiofe O'Donovan on Still Life (returning Sarah's appearance on Aiofe's fine album Magic Hour). Production is restrained but spot on for these songs, I think, allowing each one to speak as it should and the more I listen to this album, the better I like it.

I saw Sarah Jarosz live at London's Bush Hall a couple of years ago.  She was brilliant, performing superbly, making it look effortless and plainly putting everything into the music.  You can't fake that sort of quality, and Undercurrent is a worthy next step.  It's an album of real quality and it's a great listen.  Very warmly recommended.