It's not easy being a female artist these days. With so much estrogen-driven talent already permeating the radio waves from artists like Regina Spektor, Rilo Kiley and Cat Power, it can be difficult for the other girls to get a note in edgewise. Clare and the Reasons, however, remain undaunted by this intimidating group of artists with the release of their latest album, Arrow.
Luckily for those who've already exhausted the female artist library, Clare and the Reasons offer a bit of fresh air. That's not to say what she's doing is terribly original, but she's doing it well. Very well. It's very mellow. It's very pretty. It's somehow very pink, but not in that cheesy pop, ""please don't leave me"" kind of way.
The album is chock-full of the typical female laments and love stories, but they're decorated in a way that makes them appear lovely and brand new. The pleasant lead vocals of Clare Muldaur are situated among a variety of horns and strings. Other bells and whistles find their way onto the album in the form of, well, bells and whistles. With all of these miscellaneous baubles hanging off the core melody, it would seem likely the music would get lost in the mix, yet somehow this doesn't happen. The music maintains a minimal feel while still containing a maximum amount of instrumentation.
""All the Wine"" is easily the girliest song on the record. Apart from Muldaur's high soprano vocals, the song's bouncy melody and soft images beg to be a soundtrack for the most feminine of activities. If women are still partaking in frill-filled tea parties, this song belongs there. Of course, the everyday girl talk will also suffice as an ""All the Wine"" activity.
Arrow also includes a fantastic cover of the Genesis song ""That's All."" While it's true that any song can be easily upgraded with the removal of Phil Collins, Clare and the Reasons' cover truly is an exciting renovation of the 1983 classic. Muldaur complains, ""I could say day, you'd say night / Tell me it's black when I know that it's white / It's always the same, it's just a shame, that's all."" Her bluntness toward her situation is backed perfectly by minimal instrumentation. The typical electric guitar and drums combination has been kicked to the curb, replaced by a duet between horns and strings. As opposed to the exaggerated anger the original version reeks of, the switch gives Clare and the Reasons' cover a more cool, ""whatever"" attitude. As the staccato horn blasts provide a rhythm for Muldaur's annoyed vocals, an air of indifference carries on the song. This makes for a composed, delightfully feminine song.
For the most part, Arrow is a great album. There isn't anything on the record that hasn't been tried out by a different female artist, but Clare and the Reasons' natural talent makes their album great despite its lack of original technique. While it's definitely worth looking into, it won't add any new glamour to one's female music library.
