(2022) Julie Odell - Autumn Eve  


Review:
Julie Odell’s Autumn Eve is a most unusual and audacious album. From the first song, she throws out the rule book and bends songs and styles at will. Where songs start and where they will end become anyone’s guess. Allen Toussaint wrote the song “From a Whisper to a Scream,” but Odell actually uses that kind of logic throughout Autumn Eve, becoming a literary shapeshifter. It makes for a wild ride. The first notes of “St. Fin Barre” make it clear things will not be simple and straightforward. An overcharged electric guitar shatters an old-school 50s beat before Odell begins to sing. Her voice begins to change, both in power and timbre, creating one of those “we’re not in Kansas anymore” moments that Dorothy talked about in The Wizard of Oz, with the song fading out in a way that makes it feel like it’s from another song entirely. “Envelope” initially rocks with a vengeance as it tells a tale of the simple act of receiving a letter. Admittedly this is less a part of our modern world; letters come from a different time and place. “I was really affected by the power of such a simple, kind gesture and wanted to make a huge deal of it so I wrote this song. Taking the time in our fast-paced, social media society to write a letter, seal it, know the address, stamp it, and send it is radical,” Odell admits. Part of what makes the song so unique is the way the song seems to rock, sometimes gently, sometimes less so. The shifting sands of her singing go from this huge instrument to something much sweeter and smaller. Her voice has the ability to reflect seismic shifts that create structures that can change in a matter of seconds, taking her voice from something fragile to demanding. “Caterpillar” reflects those abilities, suggesting that this is less about whim and totally about how to communicate with her audience. Rather than giving people what they expect, she provides what they need to hear. “Cardinal Feather” seems to shift time and structure as it goes from one idea to the next. It’s a truly radical notion illustrating her ability to find a way to tie things together, almost as if she was listening to a cosmic radio. When she sings, “I can’t help but live intensely with every single breath/ I’m so in love with life, I love with all my might/ And the beauty and light radiating/From underneath your brow,” you begin to realize this is a trip unlike any you have taken before. With Autumn Eve, Julie Odell takes us on a journey we never expected to take, one where we are left breathless by the unfolding possibilities of everything she displays. By the end of the final song, “Autumn Eve”, we begin to realize the power she is capable of as she offers, “Winter won’t last too long/ store a bounty of joyful song.” Julie Odell should help us through the long months ahead. — folkradio


   


Track List:
01 - St. Fin Barre
02 - Envelope
03 - Caterpillar
04 - People Cheering
05 - Moments Later
06 - Cardinal Feather
07 - Space
08 - Autumn Eve


Media Report:
Genre: indie-folk
Country: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits
Compression mode: Lossless
Writing library: libFLAC 1.2.1 (UTC 2007-09-17)


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