Heavy Graces is musician Allison Crowe’s third album of new recordings in 2013.
On this latest collection the Canadian artist is writing, singing, playing piano, guitar and percussion, as well as working on engineering, production, album art and photography. And she’s picked up her great-grandfather’s fiddle and includes it on several tracks.
All told, Crowe’s released three albums so far this year: Songbook, an oeuvre-spanning 22-song compilation – the music of which draws more diverse praise including comparisons with Solomon Burke, Joni Mitchell, and Modest Mussorgsky – and Newfoundland Vinyl, produced with Theatre Newfoundland and Labrador.
Heavy Graces features new songs by Crowe, alongside her interpretations of tunes composed by Leonard Cohen – Famous Blue Raincoat, in two versions – and Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder.
Crowe also worked on two films this year, including Tom Anton’s The Pardon and Zack Snyder’s big-budget reboot of the Superman franchise Man of Steel.
Via today’s digital archives, there’s now opportunity for artistry and fun to combine music and movies in timeless fashion. The songs of Heavy Graces are accompanied visually, in video form, by a series of excerpts from silent-era, and other classic black and white films from directors D.W. Griffith, Josef von Sternberg, Buster Keaton and Clyde Bruckman.
Crowe returns home to Nanaimo for Tidings again this year – the concert happens Dec. 14 at St. Andrew’s United Church.
For more information, or to purchase music, please visit www.music.allisoncrowe.com. The album is also available on iTunes.
