Go To This Show!
Sorcha Cribbin-Merrill and her band at The White Heart in Portland
Saturday, January 20, 9:00 PM

Sorcha’s new CD “Walk It Once” will be available at the show, or through her website.

This gig is billed as a New Year CD release party for Sorcha’s second disc, “Walk It Once”.

You must go to this show – I caught Sorcha and this band at Blue back in December when she informally released this disc to her fan base – it was a packed house, and a great show. The band she is playing with is essentially the folks who helped her on the new CD, and they have these tunes down, believe me. I have always loved Sorcha’s music, but she has really come into her own on “Walk It Once”.

Sorcha Cribben-Merrill

Sorcha’s first CD, “Balance”, is a great debut album – fairly basic production, but well recorded. Sorcha’s capable acoustic guitar work is backed up by some very nicely mixed electric guitar, bass, and percussion. Her clear, sensitive voice comes through as the main act, as it should.

Sorcha’s early work consists of fairly complex lyrical explorations of relationships and personal growth. My personal favorite from the first album is “I Am Soul”. It is message from your authentic essential self, reminding you that, while you can fool some folks, you can’t fool yourself. When you find yourself straying from the essence of who you are, you can find your way back by listening to this inner voice.

“… I am the shiver when you are cold / I am the silence when you are alone… Here, you cannot just do what you like/you must like what you do”.

This is Sorcha as pure songwriting artist, reaching out with her insight and beautiful observations to show you what she’s discovered about the world.

OK so now it’s five years later, and we have a whole new Sorcha. More experienced, more accomplished musically, more savvy about creating an album and how to get noticed.

As a songwriter, Sorcha has built on the solid foundation she laid down with “Balance”, and found new material, new collaborators, and new skills in forging both musical and lyrical hooks. Many of these songs have hit potential, and yet are honest, true, and authentic. The title track “Walk It Once” is a funky, bluesy pitch for living in the moment and not waiting for better times.

“Well this road, it may be a short one,
Or this road, it may be long
But you only get to walk it once before you’re gone
So don’t tell me happiness is just around the bend
Cause you’re looking at it right here where it’s always been…”

“Chasin’ A Movin’ Train” is a great road song, full of fun, rolling guitar riffs, clicky-clack percussion, and a lyrical line that makes you want to get behind the wheel and start racking up the dotted lines. Fans of the dis-banded but sorely-missed local band, “The Piners” will enjoy this one.

Sorcha’s vocals on this disc are more sophisticated, more confident, more wordly-wise. She has much better command of dynamics, harmony, and interval. She has definitely found an able ally in Pete Morse, who is one of these cracker-jack producer / musicians that work in the background to take artists to the next level. Pete plays many of the instruments backing up Sorcha on this disc, and does it all well. He also recorded and mixed the tracks at his studio, Busted Barn Recording, in Freeport. The result is a near-perfect balance of simplicity and sophistication. You never lose Sorcha in the mix, and the lyrical and melodic themes are only enhanced by the sassy electric leads, rhythmic guitar licks, and driving percussion. The mandolin and banjo threads in some of the songs are just icing on the cake.

Sorcha and her band will be playing many of these new songs at The White Heart (551 Congress Street, Portland, across from SPACE) on Saturday night. Please, do yourself a favor and go catch this show. Definitely buy the CD, ‘cause you are going to want to take some of this music home with you.

All the best to you!
Bob McKillop

Sorcha’s CDs

Balance (2001)
Recorded, mixed, mastered by John Dyer, Unintentional Music, Blue Hill, ME
Produced by Sorcha
Acoustic and electric guitar – Dan Williams
Bass – Bob Merrill
Drums and percussion -Caleb Aker

Walk it once (2006)
Recorded and mixed by Pete Morse at Busted Barn Recording in Freeport, ME
Pete and Sorcha share the production credits
Acoustic and electric guitar, bass, banjo, mandolin, organ – Pete Morse
Drums, percussion - Zak Trojano
Fiddle - Frank Ferrel
Cello - Roger Greene

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