CD Review

Artist:  Rae Spoon

Title:  Superioryouareinferior

Publicity:  Killbeat Music

Release Date:  October 7, 2008

Reviewed By: Melanie Shim (Vancouver Correspondent – Canada)

No matter what kind of song she was singing, I always thought Karen Carpenter sounded infinitely sad.  The soft, low timbre of her voice made every tune nostalgic and wistful, as if life were quickly passing us by.  And yet, I cannot stop listening to her sing about ‘birds that long’ or ‘rainy days and Mondays’.  Similarly, Rae Spoon, who is one of the world’s only transgender country singers, has that same melancholic quality to his voice.  Clear and pure, Spoon’s voice seems to capture the feelings of loneliness and unhappiness of being different.  Further, the entire album’s folk music roots, with elements of electronic and rock music, create a unique listening experience.

Listening to the entire record, I have concluded that it would be the perfect soundtrack to a road trip across Canada; from the Territories, across the Prairies and to the Maritimes, Spoon sings about the Great Lakes, fighting seagulls, burning forests and the wolves within our minds.  Revealing and exposed, Spoon is affectingly vulnerable; he risks his own dignity to be so open about his feelings.

A particularly memorable song was “I’ll Be a Ghost for You”.  Here, Spoon sings with yearning and longing in his voice about finding home with the one person you can never leave.  Sadness, for lack of a better word, is really the underlying emotion that drives the song to be an exceptionally well wrote.  Moreover, the same melancholic tone to Spoon’s voice created a suitable effect - an ache that continues all the way through to the afterlife.

In the end, the record is rather inspiring; seemingly cathartic and incredibly honest, the album is just beautiful.  The delivery and execution of Superioryouareinferior helped create a rather singular experience.  The time and care put into the making of the record further demonstrated the dedication of a musician and truly moved me.  Profound, without being pretentious, the entire album is an insightful look at one amazingly talented artist.

1.       “Great Lakes” – 4:02

2.       “My Heart Is A Piece Of Garbage.  Fight Seagulls!  Fight! – 4:11

3.       “Come On Forest Fire Burn The Disco Down” – 3:07

4.       “Bones In A Museum” – 4:25

5.       “I Can’t Wait To Hear The Noise” – 3:00

6.       “If You Lose Your Horses” – 3:24

7.       “Off The Grid, Underground” – 3:00

8.       “Strength From Within” – 3:32

9.       I’ll Be A Ghost For You” – 3:59

10.   We Become Our Own Wolves” – 3:34

11.   “Strength From Within (Solo)” – 3:35