Basia Bulat

This afternoon, I have been working away at some character illustration work that I have, and as per usual, when I am in the groove and working, I have my tunes blasting. Well, one album that I've had for quite awhile, but still can't seem to get enough of, is "Oh, My Darling" by Basia Bulat, a 24 year old singer-songwriter from Ontario, Canada. This album draws me completely in everytime, I love the buttery smoothness of her folk-like voice. There's definitely a maturity present in her voice well beyond her years. Here's a little snippet from the About section of her website explaining the becoming of many of the wonderful tracks on "Oh, My Darling."

"For the summer of 2006, Basia went to live in Montreal. Through friends she met Howard Bilerman, an engineer and co-owner of the famed Hotel 2 Tango studio. Basia cashed some student loans to record with Bilerman in one of the final sessions at the original H2T site, but by the third day she had lost her voice. It was ultimately these rough early takes, hoarse with excitement, that formed the bulk of Oh My Darling. Initially the recordings were meant only as an "audible memory" of the time Basia spent with friends in London and Montreal: "We liked playing together so much, and I just wanted to remember that." But Bilerman was smitten with the songs, with Basia and her band, and he began to write to friends at labels, friends with music-blogs, anyone who might pay attention. For despite the original intention, these tracks are breathless, thirsty, dislodged from dreary nostalgia. There are strings, yes, and acoustic guitar, but also a frantic drum-kit gallop; the influence of the spirits of wild Jeff Magnum, big-voiced Odetta, Emily Dickinson and all those boisterous soul-music singles. It’s this spark that sets Basia Bulat apart from the raft of typical singer-songwriters, and also what attracted the interest of Geoff Travis and Britain’s legendary Rough Trade label – who released Oh My Darling in Europe and Japan in the spring of 2007."

I'll leave you with a video of her playing one of my favorite songs from the album, "The Pilgriming Vine" at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC. You gotta love her jubilant, energetic vibe as she sings this!