WINGING IT

W eaving elements of folk, roots, Americana, and pop into a sublime blend. On Winging It, a consummate, complex “breakup” album, Brown seems almost an heir to the music, vocal style, and confessional approach of Joni Mitchell, especially in "Ain't Been On His Mind," and to Jane Siberry, particularly in "What's Old is New," which features a surprising, edgy electric guitar. The opening track, "As the Crow Flies," is a showcase for Brown's rich, plangent voice, and draws an interesting parallel between the fragile romance of two people, and the fleeting connection that bonds a performer and a live audience – especially in a post-COVID environment. Led throughout by a gentle electric piano, accented with a mellotron flute, it ends with a beautifully unexpected dub-style surf guitar.

Driven by a sumptuous grand piano motif, "The Practice" is a mournful but gorgeous ballad that summarizes a life spent trying to love well, and fully, but never quite reaching the mark. A kind of companion piece, the self-explanatory "I Am Leaving (And It's Okay)" benefits from a lush string arrangement and vocal crescendo worthy of Adele at her best. If you’ve broken up with a long-term partner – but haven’t found the heart to hate them for it – this song’s for you. Brown recalls, “I sat on our bed and cried, and the lyrics poured out of me. It’s possible to love someone and need to let them go. That’s what this song is about." "Strawberry Blonde" is a devastating, heartbreaking, gone-before-his-time ode, that unfolds an entire story of would-be-love and untimely death; set against a backdrop of old-time karaoke nostalgia, and culminating in a final closing chorus of Billy Joel's "Piano Man." "Tumbleweed" is a haunting, serene meditation, a parable about a bird having to leave its nest and float on the breeze like a tumbleweed. A lovely country waltz, "I Don't Envy You" is replete with vocal-theremin, and a high lonesome melody, with the author choosing solitude over melodramatic love letters and gifts sent through the mail. Vulnerable and authentic, full of captivating vocals and unpredictable sonic turns, Winging It is one of the most powerful and compelling post-relationship albums you’ll ever hear.

PRESS REVIEWS:

""Brown attempts to juggle the darkness of the world with her innate compassion and optimism."
- Tom Murray, The Edmonton Journal