Description
Frances Paterson – Strange Attractors
CD review by Smith
TN348-12 – $25
TN180 Sep 26
In this 2002 album of about 50 minutes, Frances Paterson wrote all the tracks except ‘Brave and Mad’, which was the work of Jenny Pollak.
As well as Paterson on vocals, the musicians are Dev Gopalasamy (various guitars), Andy Evans (drums), Justin DiLeo (bass), Steve Isoardi (keyboards), Jeff Cripps (FX) and Jenny Pollak (flute).
The jazz like accompaniments are appropriate throughout.
‘Madeleine’ makes a dramatic opening.
It uses the symbolism of the rose as an affair of the heart and introduces two ideas not usually associated with rose petals – heaviness and ashes.
‘She is trying to restore them/ but the roses in her heart/ are too heavy, they won’t stand straight/ they won’t stand at all’.
‘Brave and Mad’ and ‘Just a Little’ offer variations on the love theme.
‘Deep-Sea Diver’ has an Afro-Peruvian rhythm and follows the daughters of a diver who search for treasure in a style that is described as gentle, graceful, pleasant, flexible, brilliant, charming, penetrating, elegant, satisfied, gradual, intelligent and contented.
‘Dancing Ground at Quarantine’ is about the spirits of deep time.
The energy of the corroboree is danced into the ground bringing the land alive.
‘Currangly’ (Collins Beach, Spring Cove, North Head, Sydney) is about the same general area.
This beautiful, tiny bay is close to Heaven in Paterson’s memory.
While there seems to be a Wollongong connection for the ensemble, several songs involve Sydney locations.
‘Colour Blue’ (Jit groove from Zimbabwe) was written in memory of Shakie Kangwena of the Bhundu Boys.
The song lists many things which are coloured blue, both objects and ideas like ice cold perfection.
The reggae ‘Lion of Samarkand’ and ‘Journey Down’, set to a Congolese rhythm, are both about prowling and roaming, in one case with a roar and in the other a sense of parting.
In ‘Washing Line’, a poetic vision gives voice to clothes hung out to dry.
When the wind blows, the clothes dance.
The flapping scares birds away.
The clothes long to be dry and folded in your arms.
There is a classical reference in the song ‘Penelope’.
In the Odyssey, Penelope was courted by many suitors in the long absence of her husband.
To remain faithful, she had a delaying tactic of sitting weaving at her loom and insisting that she could not make a decision until she finished her cloth.
Paterson has her unpicking the cloth at night, but sitting, weaving and waiting.
‘Circle Song’, to the rhythm of the Venezuelan joropo, is about acceptance, comforting and belonging.
‘Every voice will have its say now/ every ear will be listening/ talking all together/ in a circle’.
The centre is stronger than the individuals on the periphery.
The sleeve notes describe the ‘what’ of this album as ‘songs we hope will strangely attract you’.
Frances Paterson and her collaborators have done an excellent job creating songs which attract without being strange.
Indeed, more songwriters should follow Paterson’s example and let their poetic spirits roam freely.
Ed. ‘Strange Attractors’ is available for sale on the Trad&Now website and can also be heard on Trad&NowLive! from time to time.
This is Frances’ third full length album of original songs. The previous two were the self released The Song is the Singer (1984) and Sol y Sombra:Sun and Shadow (1986).
As in previous albums, Strange attractors sometimes utilises latin American and African folk rhythms, this time translated by a formidable backing band of four musicians into a klush, latinish, jazzy sound.
