Gonzo Okanagan, Canada
By John Kereiff
A very sparse, introspective set of songs here, as you might have guessed from the title. Mellow? Yeah- sometimes Songs Of Rain makes James Taylor look like Motley Crue- but when you’re in the mood to examine things and contemplate your life’s choices, this disc is mighty fine company.The addition of piano and cello to Jackson’s sonic palette this time out results in an exquisitely lush sound, perfect for night time listening. Allmusic speaks of her as “an excellent narrative songwriter; she tells stories that the listener can climb inside and inhabit for as long as (they) wish, and (are) haunted by them long after the recording ends”, which is exactly how this collection of songs feels to me. There’s something haunting about the cello in particular that draws me in, asking me to listen deeper and feel what it is she’s trying to say, particularly on a songlike Ribbons.As I listen to Songs Of Rain I find myself drawn into Lynn Jackson’s startling narrative- then, I might drift away into some personal circumstance that her song is stirring up for me, before finding my way back into her story again, and she’s probably happy with that. The songs are melodically simple but well played, making it easy to notice your own life within the lyrics, and I suspect that’s her intention. The best records, after all, are a collection of stories that function like a mirror when you hold them up and gaze in, and that’s just what Songs Of Rain, Snow & Remembering is for me, anyway. I may not even listen to it all that often- but when I do, it will be because I’m compelled to do so. ****
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