Gardener
Rebecca Riots
Appleseed Recordings
2000
16 tracks
Rebecca Riots is a trio from Berkeley, California, that heads its publicity notice with a descriptive quote from a major newspaper. "[Rebecca Riots is a] band with a conscience that heals minds with its political and social commentary" says the San Francisco Chronicle. The publicity continues to describe the "gentle yet very powerful energy and presence" and "intensity and sense of passion" of this "fresh and radical" folk group. Well, maybe. I do hear indications that some of these descriptive elements may apply, perhaps in live performances, but I hear little on this release to justify these strong descriptions.
Now, this doesn't mean that I think the writing and performance on Gardener isn't well done: only that the publicity hacks have gone overboard and that, if these three young women perhaps believed their own press less, Rebecca Riots could have more focus.
In fact, from the writing to the arrangements to the performance and production, every song on this release is very well done indeed. At the same time, in what I think are some important ways, the set as a whole is uneven and lacks a certain unity that would make the whole thing stronger.
Separately and in collaboration with one another, all three of these musical partners have had a hand in writing the sixteen songs included here. If I have a personal favourite among these three writers [and I do, but I won't say which], it's only because of my own taste in writing and performance and not a measure of quality. The relative quality of the writing in these songs is very even and very high. Not so much poets as story-telling lyricists, each of these women has a lot to say and says it very well.
Although this recording is ostensibly of the trio, most tracks are built around a band that can include up to six additional musicians. The overall sound is quite large, more a folk orchestra at times than a trio based on acoustic guitar, mandolin, and harmonica. Although the apparent genre of the songs tends to range fairly widely, there is also a unity to the sound that suggests the final arrangements are as important as the individual compositional skills of the songwriters. I do notice that credits on the lyrics are to individual writers but overall credits in the notes say the songs were written by Rebecca Riots. Based on what I've heard, this seems appropriate.
While at surface the overall sound is fairly consistent, at a not too much deeper level, a number of distinct genre categories can be heard in the music on this release. What I mostly hear is by now quite dated. A few years ago, a lot of female folk groups were putting out a faux Indigo Girls sound that sometimes worked and sometimes did not. In many of the songs here, that's the sound that comes through. This comes through in the harsh, almost punk lead guitar, the near on vocal harmonies, and the use of hand drums, as well as in the rhythmic base of the songs. As well, I hear some acoustic roots rock riffs, standard traditional folk sounds, and even country music (the older stuff, not what you hear on the radio now).
The set was arranged and produced by Rebecca Riots and they, along with sound engineer Gary Mankin and mixer Dave Wellhausen, are to be applauded for the excellent, clean sound they have achieved. This is one of the better productions I've received during the time I've been writing these reviews.
It's not clear which of the three women in this trio sings lead in each song, but it is clear that each has a different vocal style. All have rich, beautiful voices and definitely know how to interpret a song. One has a sweet voice that can shift from folk to pop to rock like a latter day Sandy Denny. One has a solid rock voice more consistent with, say, the Wilson sisters of Heart. And the third has a harsh, raw voice more reminiscent of Kim Carnes around the time of "It's a Heartache" or perhaps even such male singers as Bryan Adams or Rod Stewart. And all three sound just great.
Because of the diversity and overall high quality of the tracks on Gardener, I'm not sure I could decide which song is the best. I can, however, say which is my personal favourite. "Fiddler's Creek" is a simple, sweet folk song in a country vein. In fact, besides the folkish style presented here, this song could as easily be set up and work well as a hillbilly song or even bluegrass. Lisa Zeiler's lyric is simple and open with a real traditional folk feel. Presented quietly, with basic instrumentation, the song is simply beautiful. The open-ended words could as easily be a message to a lover or a soft prayer to God. It works very well both ways.
Almost a capella except for some hand drums, "Stand Tall" has less sense of story than "Fiddler's Creek" but carries the same gospel feel in its building harmonies and growing intensity. While the simplicity of the two songs is similar, with its less detailed, impressionistic lyric and stark presentation, "Stand Tall" comes across as somehow more modern.
Many of the lyrics on this release are imbued with that sense of time compressed. Like the name of the group [see note below], many of these lyrics read as though they might have come out of Nineteenth Century England with their hints at Romanticism tainted by a perceived dark side of society. Some songs are dark and Dickensian, ripping aside the veil to expose the dark beneath, yet also shining a hopeful light. "Borrowed Clothes" is the most obvious of these songs. Others are more Wordsworthian, presenting pretty romantic scenes which turn out to be not so perfect after all. "Every Living Thing is Vulnerable" epitomizes this approach. Other songs have the romantic impulse of an Elizabeth Barrett Browning, sweet expressions of love for another or perhaps for God and open enough that it's hard to tell which. "You Bring Me" is one of several songs of this type. Here are songs of loving and of parting, of beauty and of suffering, of acceptance and of protest. The range is impressive.
There's a depth here that wants to be explored. The three women in Rebecca Riots are all fine lyricists and excellent musicians. In my opinion, what they lack is focus. This may derive from them believing their own publicity too much. I don't know. I'd like to see them find their own direction without worrying about what their publicists, the public, or the reviewers [including me] may think. They have the ability to create something very special; not a potpourri of genres and styles but a focussed and powerful release. I'd love to see them do it.
Rebecca Riots is apparently taking a hiatus from live performance and recording. I hope at least some of you will encourage them to continue making music and growing. You can learn more about them and can also contact them at RebeccaRiots.com.
[On a side note, I know we're always curious about where bands get their names. Could it be that these girls were history majors at some university? Even if its source hadn't been mentioned in the publicity package, the name "Rebecca Riots" would have sounded familiar, so I looked it up. For some clues as to where their band name may have come from, you too can look it up here or here. Now ain't that fun?]
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