Grand

by Erin McKeown

Overview

Erin McKeown should have called this disc "Don't Fence Me In." The least she could have done was to record the song, anyway. Instead, McKeown tries her hand at just about every genre you might want to hear from her. The only common Grand threads to be found here are her voice and writing. On first glance she's your standard folk-pop torch-bearer with clever lyrical and melodic turns such as "Slung-Lo" and "Born to Hum"; turn your head and she's become a soft-core new wave rocker, as on "Cinematic"; then she's a throwback USO girl with "The Taste of You" and "How to Be a Lady"; before you know it, she's morphed into a groovy jazz hipster with "Cosmopolitans" and "Lucky Day." Occasionally the vibes converge and meld within a single piece. An interesting tidbit about Grand is that of the 14 tracks, only one is over four minutes, with most coming in under three. McKeown definitely has a style all her own and it seems to be working. Grand may fall shy of the "Panoramic & Spectacular!" claim on the cover, but it's definitely a beguiling and pleasant way to spend 40 minutes or so. ~ Kelly McCartney

Product Details

Release Date:	04/23/2013
Label:	Nettwerk / Parlophone
UPC:	0724359129723
Rank:	230394

Tracks

1. Slung- Lo
2. Cinematic
3. The Taste of You
4. Born to Hum
5. Civilians
6. Envelopes of Glassine
7. How to Be a Lady
8. A Better Wife
9. Cosmopolitans
10. Lucky Day
11. An Innocent Fiction
12. James!
13. Starlit
14. Vera

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Erin McKeown   Primary Artist,Bass,Casio,Drums,Organ,Piano,Guitar,Shouts,Vocals,Humming,Sampling,Accordion,Keyboards,Organ (Hammond),Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Brian Jones   Bells,Drums,Percussion,Tambourine
Michael Raskin   Sax (Tenor)
David Chalfant   Bass,Banjo,Guitar,Slide Guitar,Guitar (Bass),Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Brad Mason   Trumpet
Mark Tragesser   Sax (Baritone)
George Javori   Drums,Shaker,Tambourine
Brandon Mason   Trumpet,Flugelhorn
Dave Chalfant   Bass,Loops,Humming,Baritone,Slide Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)

Technical Credits

Meghan Dewar   Design,Art Direction
David Chalfant   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Producer,Recording
Erin McKeown   Beats,Composer,Lyricist,Art Direction
Lew Brown   Composer,Lyricist
Ray Henderson   Composer
Mike Lapierre   Assistant
Buddy DeSylva   Composer
Dave Chalfant   Beats,Mixing,Engineer,Producer
Jonathan Wyner   Mastering,Mastering Engineer