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Jenny
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Clover
- Road To Ohio
- Song I Used To Sing
- Pretty Girls
- Dear Papa
- Blanket In A Cornfield
- Hang That Moon
- Wayward Bird
- A Hole In The Ground
- The Narrow Gates
- Home With You
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Road
To Ohio
Utilizing talent from the Jars
of Clay camp, Sarah Hart shows a wondrous knack for blending country, folk
and melodic pop flavors on a disc that will delight fans of Shawn Colvin or
Alison Krauss. A thoughtful Christian songwriter, Hart can sound tough, as
on the mandolin-fueled hootenanny "Jenny": "Take your big black eye and your
girly tears / Cause Jenny I told you that you're never gonna take my boy
from me."
The luxurious title track
finds "the moon dropping diamonds into the new snow," an apt metaphor for an
album brimming with spirit-infused treasure.
Sarah
Hart's ROAD TO OHIO is a Road Worth Taking
Written by Mike Parker - Friday, 27 June
2008
If you think you
know Sarah Hart, think again. Her latest release, the lush,
slow-burning, Appalachian-laced Road to Ohio nestles
Sarah comfortably between Alison Krauss and Sheryl Crow, and lends an
authenticity to the music that lifts it far, far above the ordinary.
Road to
Ohio, is a stunning twelve-song collection of story songs
birthed from the whispery voiced singer/songwriter's personal
experience and vivid imagination. Where those two sources mix and
mingle may be anybody’s guess, but the result is a double shot of
world-class Americana with a bluegrass chaser. Ummmm, tasty!
Lyrically,
Road to Ohio represents a marked departure for an
artist better known for exploring ethereal themes of faith than earthy
issues of dirt roads and corn fields. Still, Sarah manages to inject a
healthy dose of religious imagery into her songs. “Jenny,” the lead off
track is a classic case in point. “Say, Jenny, clearly you’ve got
an apple you want bitten,” she chides. “Who-ee, Jenny, you’re
snaking up the wrong tree.” Chock full of sassy attitude with a
mischievous wink, this eternal tale of the temptress and the virtuous
woman turns into a full fledged cat fight with the virtuous woman
proving she can get down and dirty when she needs to.
Sweetly strummed
acoustic guitars, tinkling mandolin, lap steel, fiddle and upright bass
mix beautifully with Sarah’s tender and fragile vocals. Guest
instrumentalist like the incomparable Ben Shive, Steve Mason, and Andy
Osenga add to the overall quality of the project. But as gorgeous as
the music is, it is still the insightful, introspective lyrics that
make Road to Ohio such a treat.
Best cuts include
the melancholy “Pretty Girls,” the saucy “Blanket in a Cornfield,” and
the poignant “Dear Papa.”
Sarah
Hart's ROAD TO OHIO is a Road Worth Taking
Hart is one of Catholic music’s best
songwriters. This is an acoustic effort with an emphasis on a spiritual
journey rather than than spirituality. Imagine sitting down in a small
cafe listening to your best friend talk about life, using wonder
analogies like “Clover,” “Wayward Bird” and “A Hole in the Ground.”
Hart has a unique ability to use images in her lyrics that bring a
smile to your face and yet still have another layer with a deeper
Christian meaning to the song.
