Sarah Slean (E.P)

Sarah Slean's sound is only somewhat like Tori's, but some of the magic will be the there as she truly is a beautiful artist.


The Missing Link Between Sarah, Fiona, and Tori...   December 3, 2003
Peter Marinari (Philadelphia, PA USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

Like an off-broadway Sarah McLachlan, a drunken poet Fiona Apple, or little-orphan-Annie via Tori Amos... the comparisons to the other women of piano-rock are inevitable. On her debut American EP, a collection of both old and new material, Sarah Slean proves that the comparisons are warranted only because she is otherwise entirely indescribable.

Opener "Eliot" draws all of the above comparisons all by itself, combining a ragtimish upright-piano with Slean's unique voice for a wonderful spectrum of quiet verses and a crescendoing chorus. On "Book Smart Street Stupid" Sarah's voice quavers under its own weight, arresting in its utter fragility as it stays just ahead of the beat and a swaggering brass section in this theatrical turn of narrative songwriting.

"Sweet Ones" is the high point of her previously unreleased material, combining what would be an otherwise ethereal composition with a stomping monster beat -- it sounds like any of the aforementioned women covering David Bowie's "Oh You Pretty Things" for the benefit of a rowdy pub just a few blocks of Broadway. (Be careful, some earlier copies of the disc leave this gem off in favor of another song!)

"High" and "Twin Moon" draw from Sarah's last full length release Blue Parade, and they are less eccentrically realized than her newer material. "High" combines a circling Amos-like piano line with McLachlan's older style of ominous production. "Me & Jerome" and "John The 23rd" are even older, and even in their precociously intricate bare piano playing and alternatingly drawled and harmonious vocals they clearly exemplify all of the qualities that Slean has come to display on her newer efforts; they lack only the arrangements to back them up.

Sarah Slean would be a more captivating listen in the opposite order -- showing the clear progression of what could be a powerhouse new female pianist. As it is, this disc is front loaded with catchiness, but the back end is worth a listen as well.


A good place to start.   March 21, 2003
Type12point (Ottawa, ON)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

...I recently had the pleasure of seeing Miss Slean in
concert at a lcal university, and though she kept
the audience waiting for nearly two hours, the final
result was well worth it. She gave the best small-
venue performance I have ever seen. Slean is a good
composer, a vibrant vocalist with a potent and
distinctive voice, and a great pianist and performer.
A clinging precocity in her work is all that prevents
her from rising head and shoulders above the other
artists to whom she is most often compared.

This little album's a good place to start, but there
are other Sarah Slean titles available that Amazon
has yet to offer. You'd be wise to seek them out.


PHENOMENAL   February 12, 2003
As someone who is not easily impressed, I was thrilled when I discovered Sarah Slean. I have all of her CD's and there isn't a song that I don't love. Sarah is immensely talented and has a unique lyrical ability. Her music is melodic and haunting and her voice has an incomparable tone wrought with emotion. The songs Sarah composes are insightful and deal with several issues of importance both to herself and her listeners. Sarah's voice takes on a solid quality in some of her heavier songs like Habit, High and Weight and becomes forlorn and pensive in songs like John the 23rd and Blue Parade. Sarah even has some songs with a choral influence like Awake Soon and Pie Jesu. Her harmonies and intricate and her melodies are memorable. Sarah Slean is without a doubt the best Canadian import in years!


Powerfully distinct   January 19, 2003
grrlfriend (Calgary, Alberta Canada)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

From the moment Sarah Slean begins to sing, you can tell that she is no one's sound-a-like. Her voice is unique and beautiful and powerful. The sort of voice that - if you see her live - can bring tears to your eyes. She's also an extremely talented pianist, but please don't lump her in with the plethora of piano girls... she's so much more than that. Her lyrics are well written and intelligent, and her sound is all her own. I think of it as a modern take on old-fashioned cabaret-style jazz (which of course puts her squarely into the vaguely defined "Adult Alternative" category; an unfortunate label).

"Sweet Ones" is probably the most accessible song on the album, a catchy, upbeat song that's getting a fair bit of radio play. "Eliot" is absolutely brilliant. I, for one, am in favour of this reworked version. Though I'll agree with an earlier reviewer that this recording of "Book Smart, Street Stupid" is less successful; it's far more melodic when you hear it live. If you can get your hands on her full-length debut album, "Night Bugs" (I gather that it's only available here in Canada), then I highly recommend it. Otherwise, pick up this EP. It's a good introduction to one of the most stunning performers that I've had the privilege to hear.