SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: ABIGAIL LAPELL – GETAWAY

Abigail Lapell
Getaway
Coax Records

In following up the award-winning Canadian folk of 2017’s Hide Nor Hair, Abigail Lapell had her work cut out for her. Fans will no doubt be more than content with the quality of Getaway. Lapell’s voice sounds like an amalgam of many folk pioneers and legends. At various points on Getaway, I couldn’t help thinking of artists like Natalie Merchant and Nanci Griffith.

Abigail Lapell opens Getaway with the sublime “Gonna Be Leaving”, which tells of a moribund relationship with each partner contemplating its ending. The guitar and piano, each weaving melancholy and complimentary melodies around Lapell’s buttery-smooth vocals, create an effect that is only heightened with repeated listens. On “Sparrow for a Heart”, Lapell sings about romantic maturation with a trumpet and electric flute for accompaniment but no percussion to distract from the effective arrangement. Production decisions shine on “UFO Song”, where she croons of an alien encounter with easily the most progressive arrangement on the album, which includes adept syncopated percussion and swirling sounds that complement the otherworldly subject matter.

It’s hard to imagine a better date night than catching Lapell on her upcoming tour. Playing fifteen shows from mid-February to March before hitting the US, she is definitely an artist worth seeing.

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