Solace

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Editorial reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
Solace, Nova Scotian Sarah McLachlan's second album, is considerably more mature and musically sophisticated than her 1988 debut, the promising if limited Touch. In fact, this disc is a must-have for McLachlan fans whose first encounter with her work was with her extremely popular later releases, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy and Surfacing. The opening track, "Drawn to the Rhythm", is a habit-forming gem of a song that soars on her smooth and heady soprano and Ronald Jones's addictive drums (though the drone of the billatron in the chorus seems incongruous). The rumbling, electric "Into the Fire" grooves with a funky bass line; the lovelorn "Path of Thorns" and "I Will Not Forget You" are straight-ahead and bluesy. Always wise beyond her years, McLachlan displays a new awakening with introspective songs such as the Sinead O'Connor-esque "Lost" and "Shelter". The hymn-like "Mercy" is the least interesting song--spare in comparison to the others--but it is a wondrous showcase of her multifaceted voice. Without a doubt, Solace is a testament to McLachlan's ever-swelling talent. --Rebecca Robinson

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Customer reviews

review by: date: 2004-04-27 rating:
Not as good as Dido? Oh, please ...
I bought my first Sarah McLachlan CD, Surfacing, purely on an Amazonrecommendation, probably because I had bought several CDs by what I thinkof as talented singer-songwriters (Tom McRae, Damien Rice, Beth NielsenChapman, Jennifer Warnes, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Leonard Cohen, and Dylan,obviously). I also read every customer review of McLachlan's work beforeinvesting, reluctantly, in an unheard album. I have now bought 4 McLachlanalbums and a concert ticket for later this year. I haven't beendisappointed by any of her work, although I do think that some tracks needrepeated listening. Comparisons with Dido do her no justice - I can seesome similarities in terms of vocal style, but really, this is farclassier and more complex stuff. Buy Solace. Then buy Surfacing. Then buyall her other CDs. I'm going to. Don't be alienated by the Dido analogies:this isn't throwaway pop, it's sophisticated and sensuous, multi-layeredand demands a sensitive ear, not just half-attentive recognition of aformulaic 'hook' chorus. That's fine as far as it goes, but McLachlan isfor music lovers.

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review by: sitorimon date: 2003-11-23 rating:
Superb
Sarah's music always feels personal but on Solace, there's an extra layer hidden away for us to find. Although there are some outdated elements of early 90's pop rock, it fits in well with the CD's folk undertones. Standout tracks are "Drawn To The River", I Will Not Forget You", "Shelter" and "Mercy", the latter is one of Sarah's most daring and original songs to date. is album marks the beginning of Sarah's genre of music we here more today than "Touch", so if your back cataloging, buy this album first!

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review by: date: 2001-07-24 rating:
Sarah's best album
Solace is beautiful, uplifting and depressing, yet always inspiring. Sarah and longtime producer Pierre Marchand have created an album full of joy and complete sadness and they have made it well. Sarah's voice is the main attraction here, as she has one of the most beautiful voices ever, but all of the musicians are brilliant as well. This album is not to be missed!

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review by: date: 2000-12-01 rating:
Woefully inadequate songwriting, but plenty of 'polish'
I recently posted a review of Sarah McLachlan's "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy", which most people seem to think is a flawless gem of an album. My thoughts on that album were mostly positive but with reservations about the songwriting. Having now heard "Solace", I see the same problem only far, far worse.

The thing is this: although Sarah can sing magnificently, her backing musicians are superb at their craft, and the production is lush and smooth, the songs themselves are truly dull. And yet it's surprisingly easy to miss this fact - the album burbles on quite happily as background music, but once it's finished you'll find that you can't remember a single tune, nor indeed can you distinguish between any of the tracks on the album.

If all you want is something to play in the background at dinner parties, then I guess it's fine (though I can think of many albums better for that purpose too), but if you want to sit down and really LISTEN to the music, you'll find it a very unsatisfying experience indeed. It's like poorly thought out folk music that's been heavily polished by lavish production techniques.

As I mentioned in my other review, if you want music of this genre you'd be better checking out anything from Beth Orton, Dido, Kate Bush, Capercaillie, the Cocteau Twins or Jerry Burns. For any of these artists, the songwriting comes first, and the producer only provides the finishing touches.

As for Sarah McLachlan, I'd recommend she changes her producer for one that can take her considerable singing talents in fresh directions. Either her songs need to be stronger, or the production needs to be a lot simpler.


review by: date: 2000-01-11 rating:
A Must have
If you like this kind of music then this is a great album. I first heard of Sarah when she was on the X-Files Movie Soundtrack with the song 'Black', which is from this album. I bought this to hear more of her work, and I really enjoyed it. The best songs for me have to be 'Drawn To The Rhythm', 'Terms' and 'Black'. The only song that I don't like is 'Mercy', but the rest of the album is great. Get this album if you are tempted!

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Surfacing
Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
Afterglow
Touch
Wintersong

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