CD Review

Artist: Cowboy Junkies

Album: Renmin Park

Release Date: May 3, 2010

Label: Latent Recordings

Reviewed By Alex Hutt - Vancouver

Concept albums can be a tricky thing to pull off. Too often they fall flat. But Renmin Park is not an example of such — it is a treat for the ears, buoyed by a complete song list.

The concept of the album is the Jinjiang area of China, where songwriter Michael Timmins spent time with his family. It is also the first album of the four album Nomad Series that the Junkies will release over the next 18 months, interspersed with some touring.

The Cowboy Junkies  are made up of the three Timmin's siblings (Margo, Michael and Peter) and their friend Alan Anton, and Timmins joked that it is a "constant struggle" to divide family time from band time.  A part of the music scene since 1986, this long-lasting band has also been tagged as one of the first acts of the alternative country scene that emerged during the 90's.

Time has not damaged the sound and class of the Junkies, and Renmin Park exemplifies this. The title track is melancholy, haunting and evocative, and Margo Timmin's vocals are low but melodic at the same time as it tells the sad story of a forgotten park.

"Sir Francis Bacon At The Net" is one of the darker tracks, infused with field recordings of a badminton game. It comes off as more of a surreal dream because of this, as the normal sounds of two men playing badminton offsets the odd nature of the lyrics.

"Stranger Here" is the most upbeat song on Renmin Park, if only in terms of instrumentation. Lyric-wise it still leans towards the downbeat edge, though it does explore a person feels within a country not their own, and it is the best song on the album because of that.

"I Cannot Sit Sadly By Your Side" is a cover of Zuoxiao Zuzhou's song translated into English and it is beautifully sad, reminding us of some of the mistreatment of women in China. Zuzhou also supplies vocals on the later song "A Walk Through The Park," another field recording-driven addition.

"(You've Got to Get) A Good Heart" returns to the dark vein, with Margo and Michael singing alongside each other. The song is an interesting message, as the vocals paint as both advice and a threat. It transitions seemlessly into "Cicadas", which feels like you are walking through the night while being surrounded by many insects.

The second half of the album is not as good as the first but it does not take away from the album. "A Walk Through The Park" and "Renmin Park (revisited)" are the best entries. The latter takes the first edition of the song, changes the vocals to male and muddies up the track more. The effect is great, as it shows us the effects of human pollution can have on the park, but sound like a completely different song that the first version.

The CD cover art adds to the experience, as a painting by Enrique Martinez Celaya graces it. It matches the solemn mood of the album, but also containing some of the mystery from the release.

Renmin Park is a definite buy, to be enjoyed many times, as it is both original and beautiful, and one of the better concept albums out there.

Track Listing:

1. Intro
2. Renmin Park
3. Sir Francis Bacon At the Net
4. Stranger
5. A Few Bags of Grain
6. I Cannot Sit Sadly By Your Side
7. (You've Got To Get) A Good Heart
8. Cicadas
9. Interlude
10. My Fall
11. Little Dark Heart
12. A Walk In The Park
13. Renmin Park (Revisited)
14. Coda

Written by :

alessandro

 

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