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The Reviews are in - Kim Beggs’ Blue Bones hits home
Blue Bones - the newest CD from Yukon singer/songwriter Kim Beggs and her debut on Black Hen Music - delivers on the promise of her first two critically acclaimed albums ‘Wanderer’s Paean’ and ‘Streetcar Heart
Sincere and vulnerable, clear eyed and tough, the familiar themes of love, loss, and hard fought freedom that Kim Beggs so convincingly explores, have reached a new level this time out. On Blue Bones, the effortless grace and breezy delivery that have become her vocal trademarks are supported by some of North America’s most respected roots musicians to make this the best sounding album of an already impressive career.
Kim Beggs hasn’t always made her living as a singer-songwriter, and as someone who began work at the tender age of twelve, she’s definitely paid her dues. “I was born in Val d'Or, Quebec then we moved to northern Ontario. I was still quite young when we moved to Toronto, where I got my first job.” From her upbringing, Kim inherited a worker’s hands and a sturdy disposition – qualities she took on the road when - with only fifty dollars in her pocket and a pawnshop guitar, she migrated to the Yukon in the winter of 1991. There, she spent more than a decade swinging a hammer and working in the trades before she started performing away from the campfire and singing her own songs. It was in the North – a place she still calls home - that Kim Beggs truly found her voice.
It’s often been said that all Canadian artists are influenced by geography, and while the soul informing Kim Beggs’ music might sound Appalachian, it’s easy to hear how the expansiveness of the Yukon allows her creative imagination to roam. Like all of Kim Beggs’ music, the songs on Blue Bones authentically capture the rustic charm of the Canadian north, and allow people down south to experience the vicarious thrill of life in the outback from the comfort of their homes or a seat in a concert hall. Blue Bones features nine original tracks as well as four well-chosen cover songs, including interpretations of classics from Bob Dylan, Patty Griffin, and Jack Clement, as well as a stunning version of the old traditional, ‘ I’m Thinking of My Blue Eyes,’ guaranteed to make any cynic’s heart melt like spring ice.
And as the reviews for Blue Bones come back, one thing is clear: These songs hit home. The Globe and Mail’s Robert Everett-Green, writing about her original track, ‘Maiden Heart,’ says, “her sturdy, trusting, girl-woman voice is perfect for this song about a kind of innocence that never dies.” Itunes spotlighted ‘Summertime Lonesome Blues’ in their Singer Songwriter playlist. And John P. McLaughlin of The Province newspaper has called her songwriting, “refreshingly unconventional.”
In fact, Kim’s songwriting has earned praise throughout her career. She represented the nation at Canada Day celebrations in London’s Trafalgar Square and, most recently, was a nominee in CBC Radio’s Songquest competition. ‘Wanderer’s Paean’ earned her a Canadian Folk Music Award and Western Canadian Music Award nomination along with a Porcupine Award for Find of the Year, while ‘Streetcar Heart’ earned her a Just Plain Folk (U.S.) award nomination.
So, with all the attention garnered for her first two releases, a lot was riding on the release of Blue Bones. Thankfully, in Steve Dawson of Black Hen Music, Kim Beggs has found a collaborator capable of helping her bring her vision to its fullest fruition. Dawson’s masterful string playing and marrow-deep knowing musicianship graces every song in the album, and it’s a thrill to hear his national steel, electric slide and weissenborn back-up Begg’s heartfelt guitar.
With sympathetic support from John Raham (drums), Keith Lowe (bass) and Chris Gestrin (keyboards), the sound of Blue Bones is as deep, rich and organic as the place the music comes from. Vocal harmonies from Laurie Lewis, Gurf Morlix, Natalie Edelson and Jeanne Tolmie bring out a high lonesome sound with a distinctively Canadian feel, making Blue Bones sound like a lost Hazel Dickens album with a bright northern heart. On track after track, the players warm to the themes posed by Beggs’ music, adding resonance and depth to her already powerful vocals and lyrics that explore the intersections of darkness and light.
Kim Beggs is an original talent who makes music that transcends style and fashion. Without so much as a backward glance at what others consider ‘hip’, she instead makes music that is true. Bold, brilliant, dark, and sincere, Blue Bones is well on its way to becoming one of the most memorable roots releases of 2010.
