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Album Details

• Artist: Charlotte Cornfield
• Album: Two Horses
• Label:
• Year of Release: 2011
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: tosnob on 2011-10-17

Montreal-based singer/songwriter Charlotte Cornfield has made quite a stir over the last year or so with her folk rock ways. On October 25th we see how it holds up as she releases her debut full length album Two Horses.

Cornfield is at her best when she adds rock to her folk foundation. That turns the opening number "Construction On the Street" into an engaging listen. Lyrics that reference 'listening to Pavement and wondering where the day went' don't hurt. We've all been there Charlotte.

The inclusion of horns on "Harbord & Grace", an ode to the Toronto street corner, and "Lonely Acorn" liven things up significantly. The standout, however, is "All of the Pretty Mistakes", which is far and away the most melodic song on the record.

When Cornfield slows things down is when the lustre begins to come off the album. Tracks like "Arc Blues" and "Gananoque" are fairly bland folk numbers, with little to distinguish them from the plethora of those songs that are floating around in cyberspace. Moreover, the minimal arrangements and slower tempo expose Cornfield's vocals, which are not the strongest element of her package.

It's easy to see where all of the excitement over Cornfield has come from. She's got some very compelling songs and an ability to turn a great phrase. What she doesn't have yet is the ability to deliver that consistently over the course of a full album. Though I suspect it won't be long before she has that too.

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