tunereviewno-nonsense music reviews

Sarah McLachlan
Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
1993, Nettwerk/Arista
piano pop

If there is a Queen of Piano Pop, the title would belong to Sarah McLachlan (Piano Pop’s King would be Billy Joel, in my book). I should point out that every single one of McLachlan’s records have sold Platinum+, and she’s yet to release anything that still doesn’t create new fans or satisfy her old ones. What’s her secret? Her lyrics and her ear for pleasing pop (quite honestly, those two factors and the best publicity team ever would be enough to make you a major music star, no matter who you are). McLachlan has a knack for crafting songs that have catchy elements but aren’t catchy to the point where they’re easily forgettable. Prime example is her first single from Fumbling, and arguably one of her most popular songs, “Possession.” Written about obsessed fans of her previous two albums, “Possession” gave the idea of stalking a sensuality that has been often imitated but never bested. “Wait,” “Hold On,” and “Good Enough” are three popular songs with memorably beautiful lyrics. Even the so-called ‘sleeper songs,’ such as “Elsewhere” has their hold on fans of this album; this site’s name ‘awaitstheday’ are lyrics from “Elsewhere.” This was a rejuvenating album for piano pop after the heyday of Billy Joel and pointed 90s pop into a whole new direction.

“Elsewhere,” “Hold On,” “Possession.”
myspace, last.fm
Aimee Mann’s Lost in Space, Bird York’s The Velvet Hour