Joanna Chapman-Smith
Album: Contraries
Label: Woundup Records
Rating: ***
Accordions can be brandished as sonic weapons, sitting heavy and poised for raucous, foot-stomping mayhem. Not so for Joanna Chapman-Smith.
Jazzy, soulful vocals dominate Chapman-Smith’s “Canadian ethnic folk” — a mellow collection of folksy tunes that also features clarinet, piano, stand-up bass, scattered percussion flourishes, whistling and even an a capella duet (Body Language).
Autobiographical stories like Carnival Song and Between the Mind shine over Chapman-Smith’s sparse arrangements and restrained instrumentation. The resulting album plays more like a summertime porch lullaby than a gypsy punk party.
Listen to Joanna Chapman-Smith at myspace.com/joannacs
