Record of the Day: Sarah Hickman, “Motherlode”

Sarah Hickman
“Motherlode” (2 CD Sleevless 1099)

This American singer-songwriter possesses talent and skill in excessive quantities, she writes songs with sinuous and enveloping melodies sung with one of the most beautiful voices on the current scene, but her terrible relationship with business has prevented her from achieving mass success (even if her fans are numerous in the USA) and led her to found her own independent label, unfortunately not easy to find in our stores.
Witty and brilliant, Sara has numerous albums under her belt (among which particular mention should be made of “Shortstop” and the exhilarating “Ready to Pop”, recorded in concert with voice and guitar two weeks before giving birth).

In his performances he alternates songs with funny back-and-forths with the audience, also revealing a remarkable sense of humour. Most of her production is also inspired by a profound optimism in human capabilities, which in Sara’s life is expressed in political militancy in favor of associations that deal with the problem of human rights and in numerous concerts in hospitals and recovery communities.
Also the author of many successful albums dedicated to children, Sara however has a more melancholy side in her artistic inspiration and in this “Motherlode”, certainly her most ambitious album, she has clearly divided the songs between a very dramatic first part, with lyrics dark and introspective, to a more familiar second linked to cheerful images and catchy rhythms.

The beautiful cover of “Mad World”, an old Tears For Fears hit, is exemplary in the sobriety of the arrangement, which underlines the desperation of its words with nocturnal instrumentation.
The lyrics mercilessly sink their nails into the souls of protagonists often struggling with vast oases of solitude; also “To a Maddening Ghost” and “Living in Quiet Desperation” are songs that mix sensuality and sadness, desire and suffering very well.

However, it is a joy to be able to find Sara’s best-known face in the songs that form the second part, all excellent, from “Birdhouse” to the cheerful bounce of “Two Days Today”, from the declared pop of “Stupid Love” to the melody of ” This Too Shall Pass” passing through the amused version of “Are We Gonna Have Sex Again?” where Sara shows off an absolutely entertaining vocal histrionics.

Carlo Boccadoro, composer and conductor, was born in Macerata in 1963. He lives and works in Milan. He collaborates with soloists and orchestras in different parts of the world. He is the author of numerous books on musical topics.

This text is taken from “Lunario della musica: A record for every day of the year” published by Einaudi, courtesy of the author and the publisher.