Sarah McLachlan
Surfacing

By Rob Selina
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CD Stock Number: Arista 07822-18970-2

 
  Before I start singing praises for Surfacing, I'd like to point out that Sara McLachlan is a Goddess. This is not up for discussion people, it is written in stone because I said so ;-) Aside from being incredibly beautiful, it's her voice! It seems to flow through you, it has substance, palpability. Add beautiful lyrics, varied musical styles, and an excellent recording and you have a match made in heaven.

Surfacing is an interesting compilation musically, borrowing from various styles and amalgamating them into good old pop rock. Alongside the acoustic instruments, a lot of electronica manages to find it's way in. Synthetic effects and equalization are obviously used on a number of tracks, but it's unobtrusive and tasteful.

One thing I've noticed and enjoyed is the heavy presence of the bass. Music can sound great to me without large amounts of lower octave information, but I always seem to enjoy the music more when it has that good solid foundation. For me, the bass is to the music as the beat of my heart is to my life. 
In all fairness, we've all heard "Building a Mystery" and "Sweet Surrender" one time too many, but regardless of this fact, the other eight tracks make the album well worth buying. My favorite tracks would have to be "Adia" and "Do What You Have to Do". They are beautiful and soulful songs. At the same time, they compliment the other side of the album with the more upbeat, electronica-inspired "Witness" or "Black & White".

This is truly a great album. It would have to go on my "100 Albums I Cannot Live Without" list. Beautiful lyrics and music, along with a spacious and dynamic recording make this one a must. 


Enjoyment: 85

Sound Quality: 70