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Michaela Foster Marsh


Country of origin:

Canada

Type of music generally:

Contemporary folk/pop

Status:

Most recent release, Seriously Red (2008)

See also:

Michaela Foster Marsh's site

Comparisons:

Lily Holbrook, Susan Court, Louisa John-Krol, Rebecca Timmons

Covers/own material:

Own

General comments:

Dramatic folky pop music with some progressive music overtones, mixed with some prettier, often ethereal songs. Michaela Foster Marsh has a strong, very slightly raspy/smoky voice. In spirit somewhat like Lily Holbrook, Susan Court and Louisa John-Krol. (sophiagurley@hotmail.com)

Recommended first album:

Fairy Tales & the Death of Innocence is the only one we've heard

Recordings:


Fairy Tales & the Death of Innocence

Release info:

1998—self-released—HD3078

Availability:

See Michaela Foster Marsh's site

Ecto priority:

Highly recommended

Group members:

Michaela Foster Marsh—vocals, piano

Guest artists:

Steve Lucas—bass
Greg Critchley—toms, percussion, drums
Richard Evans—organ
Hugh Marsh—violin
Hugh Reid—Church organ
Thomas Leander—oboe
Leah Wyber—cello
Murielle Bruneau—concert bass
Lenny Solomon—violin
Kent Teeple—viola
Jayne Maddison—violin
Wendy Tummon—cello
Margaret Gay—cello
Ravi Naipali—tablas
Greg Kavanagh—nylon string guitar

Produced by:

Greg Kavanagh

Comments:

This is an odd mixture of Michaela Foster Marsh's smoky-strong vocals, emotive singing style, electronic background noises, and pop (sometimes better than others) lyrics. Sometimes it works brilliantly, as in the cabaret-ish "Time Bomb" and the anthem-like "Naked in the Water" but sometimes it just feels overwrought. The first track, "Right Here", is a dramatic song that draws the listener in immediately. The next, "Time Bomb", is the song that has really stuck with me the most from this album—it's just so much fun, moody, and campy. "Naked in the Water" is the single, and it's a catchy song that makes good use of Michaela Foster Marsh's expressive voice. "Obvious" has a wonderfully hauntingly simple line that I keep hearing in my head—just the way she sings "Well I thought you knew". Wow. A few of the songs are just a little too didactic, but they always have pretty tunes and Michaela Foster Marsh's lovely vocals, so I think others may find this less of a problem than i did, and there are other songs that make up for it, like by playing "Time Bomb" three more times in a row. She reminds me of a slightly more conventional Rebecca Timmons who misses a little more often (there are a couple of songs I hit the forward button on) than Timmons does. Still, interesting, and some of these songs really stick in my head. (sophiagurley@hotmail.com)


Thanks to Sophia Gurley for work on this entry.

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DISCLAIMER: Comments and reviews in the Ectophiles' Guide are excerpted from the ecto mailing list or volunteered by members of the list. They are the opinions of music enthusiasts, not professional music critics.

Entry last updated 2012-05-19 23:01:33.
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