MJ BISHOP
PULL OF THE MOON "MJ Bishop hails from Seattle, and with 'Pull of the Moon' this singer/songwriter shows she surely has even greater things ahead of her. Following her debut CD 'Hometown Address' in 2001 and 'Feel Good' in 2003, this is her third CD. With 'Pull of the Moon' she worked together in the studio with Doug Haire and Moe Provencher and the result is amazing. The CD is all her own. Deep acoustic Folk with Country 'attitude' which only she and her band can bring forth. Superb poetically written lyrics which blend beautifully with her silken honeyed voice make each of the twelve numbers a true listening experience. The melancholy 'Up North' is about her home village hidden between the Great Lakes and it's folk music from a top level shelf featuring Paul Elliott on violin. 'Up North, beauty takes your breath' ... about how beautiful your memories can be of the town in which you were born. 'Pull Me In' is her earnest plea for love, delivered with so much depth that everyone who listens to this ballad wants immediately to be her rescuer. Also beautiful is 'This Way & That' or how difficult life can be if you are lonely or if you are facing life alone. Still this is an upbeat song with MJ 'fingerpicking' on guitar and Bob Knetzger on dobro. The one number that is not solely her own is one which she co-composed with B.B. Wolfe, 'Ode To Big Blue,' a beautiful English waltz whereby MJ lets her accordion join in so beautifully that you feel the sadness well up; her singing style allows you to immediately daydream of places you have never seen. 'All Over Again' with a beautiful 'pedal steel' as guide convinces you that falling in love is always possible again so that love becomes a mystery. In this number you can clearly hear why MJ Bishop is considered a modern-day Patsy Cline. 'Leave This Town' describes how you sometimes must dare to make a decision to lead a new life. These are realistic lyrics suggesting that these days more and more persons should dare to take initiative to start anew, with Traci Hoveskeland on cello and Nancy K. Dillon as wistful 'backing vocal.' In 'Far Cry' with 'banjo time' we learn about a vagabond living carefree on his journeys but this 'Far Cry' still lets out a shout for help. The beautiful accordion returns with 'Love & Nothing Else' or how you can become overwhelmed when falling in love with someone. This CD mixes beautiful folk with country. May MJ finally share her music outside the States because there certainly is plenty of room for her at the Folk Festival of Dranouter. 'cause when she's on the road she's gathering tales to be told ... and let this be her 'Far Cry' for Europe...." Rootsville (Belgium) - August 2008 |