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Sarah Harmer: You Were Here

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In this era of angsty rap-metal, the days of songwriters who double as storytellers sometimes seems to have expired. Along comes Sarah Harmer, who harkens back to the glory days of singer/songwriters with her latest release, You Were Here. A consistent, charming 12-song CD about love mostly lost and sometimes found, You Were Here has been attracting critical attention as its first single "Basement Apt." gains airplay in several major American cities. I've shared her album with friends whose musical tastes run from Ani DiFranco to Linkin Park and they've all gone out to grab a copy of the disc. It's that good.

Her best asset is her voice, and the clean production (by Harmer and Peter Prilesnik) allows it plenty of time to shine. The songs are simply constructed and serve as a showcase for the singer, although Harmer's backing band has stand-out moments of their own (most especially Luther Wright's electric guitar in "Lodestar").

Harmer's lyrics are best when they center around specific imagery (The tap drips all night/Water torture in the sink/The furnace is burning/But it's still cold I think) and when they show her at her most vulnerable (I could lie to to myself and say I like it but I would love it if you were here).

And when Harmer's lyrics aren't taking you on a journey, her music is. Wright's guitar on "Lodestar" sweeps you right along on Harmer's sleepy river ride (complete with a nod to D.H. Lawrence). The opening seconds of the following song, "Weakened State," change the mood into something much more frantic and urgent. The mood is never allowed to go static.

There is no weak track on the album, but there are stand-outs. "Capsized" allows Harmer's beautiful voice to take center stage, complemented only by her own quiet acoustic guitar and piano playing. "Open Window (The Wedding Song)" is gentle and sugary sweet. Two songs later, "Coffee Stain" is a picture of that perfect relationship gone wrong. The tracks complement each other perfectly.

For all its pained lyrics, You Were Here never comes off as a mopey breakup album. And despite its easy, toe-tapping melodies, it never comes across as whimsical or light. Even if Harmer makes you cry sometimes, her album will be the feel-good tearjerker of the year.

To read more about Sarah Harmer, please go to www.sarahharmer.com

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