Awake
Motherwest, 2021
9/10
A Swiss-American folk singer-songwriter who handles guitar and violin quite well, Mala Oreen has been solo now for over a decade, and here with her exceptional band she touches on folk, bluegrass, roots and Americana with a very sincere and creative vision.
Oreen starts the album with the poetic and agile singing of “Ragged Queen”, which includes dobro, fiddle and some bluesy acoustic guitar, and “Moon Same Moon” follows with her expressive pipes flowing alongside the precise pedal steel and emotive guitar that injects even more beauty to the affair.
The middle tracks offer us the dreamy, absorbing “Soldier On”, which benefits much from aching cello, while “Threshold” is a fuller track with a waltz quality that showcases Oreen’s inimitable eloquence and gorgeous vocals. “Ghost Cat” then pairs fiddle and mandolin with some dramatic moments as the meticulous climate is textured flawlessly.
“Mosaic” and “Untied” exit the listen, where the former is a bare but powerful display of hymn like radiance, and the latter lands in ballad territory with 2 guitars, sparse keys, fiddle and pedal steel for a heartfelt and intimate finish.
Plenty of folk singers have great voices, but Oreen is armed with a set of pipes that will reach straight to your soul, and the very well thought out musicianship and strong lyrical content won’t disappoint either, as she pens one of the best folk records in recent history.
Travels well with: Brooksie Wells- Stops Time; Carole Wise- The Long Way Home