Danielle French is possessed of a diverse and slightly surreal talent.
author: Canadian Music Magazine
Cruising through the ether with fellow artists like Jane Siberry, singer Danielle French is possessed of a diverse and slightly surreal talent. Piece is her second album (her debut, me, myself & I, was released in 1995), written and recorded over the course of four years and finally released in 2003. Produced by French with help from Chris Brett, the album has a wide-open sound, with loose arrangements and soaring vocals, drawing a line amongst all the obvious influences but creating a wholly original work.
Written between 1993 and 1998 by French, with the exception of a song from Howard Redekopp and a cover of Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill", Piece features contributions from Burton Cummings (guest vocals on the moody To The Death), ex-Rheostatic Don Kerr on drums and Paul McLeod (the Skydiggers) on vocals. French has played an opening slot at Lillith Fair, appeared on television show Rita And Friends, won awards for her songwriting and even written, directed and danced in her own short film, Avalon. She has also recorded and toured as part of Grrrls with Guitars, and informal group that performs in a "songwriter-in-the-round" format and has released a compilation CD.
French often shows up for tours in her customized Dodge minivan, which she has converted into a camper. At last year's Burning Man festival in the Black Rock Desert, NV, she pulled up, dropped green Astroturf, a mailbox and a white picket fence and puttered around in a housecoat all day, much to the delight of the assembled revelers of the ephemeral city. With her sense of humour, French is truly a strange and unique talent.
Credit: Rod Christie is a Toronto-based freelance writer.
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Danielle French 'Piece' demonstrates the work of a maturing, attractive voice
author: Umbrella Music
The woman is nothing if not diligent. And now, finally, she has released a follow-up record – is it back to life on the road for another eight years? If so, it would be a shame, because Piece demonstrates the work of a maturing, attractive voice; we need more records like this, not fewer.
Opening with the strong one-two punch of “As the Crow Flies” and “Till We Meet Again” (with it’s lovely “kiss it all away” refrain), French’s folky record announces itself with a confident authority. Her voice (strongly reminiscent of Dar Williams at times, closer to Tori Amos at others) floats on top of interesting, somewhat dense arrangements played by an impressive group of sidemen. Don Kerr’s (Rheostatics) drums provide the most stable of foundations for French’s often spacey melodies, anchoring her to a groove when she might be inclined to be a bit more free. This is a good thing, as is Burton Cummings’ rather unlikely vocal performance on the spooky, Klezmer-inflected “To The Death.” However, his low rumbling performance is to the Burton Cummings of the Guess Who era as “Love and Death” Bob Dylan is to the Freewheeling. Still, it never hurts to have a bona fide rock legend on your record…
An ill-chosen cover of Kate Bush’s semi-signature number “Running Up That Hill” is the only truly unfortunate moment here. Suddenly French ceases to sound independent, distinct, herself. Suddenly her voice has taken on the tone of an obvious hero, and channelled her so effectively as to come across as mimicry. It is a surprise, and affects the way one hears the rest of the record (which is, it should be said, not nearly as affecting as the first half anyway).
Still, fans of Kate Bush and Tori Amos, as well as of the New York folk circuit regulars such as Dar Williams, Lucy Kaplansky and Shawn Colvin, will find themselves well served by this mostly engaging record.
Stuart Henderson, writer
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The long anticipated new release by Canadian artist Danielle French is amazing.
author: Alva Reger
The long anticipated new release by Canadian artist Danielle French is amazing. Almost ten years in the making, it is a work rich with emotion and demonstrated with passion. With contributing artists by the likes of Burton Cummings, former Rheostatics percussionist/producer, Don Kerr, and Ontario singer/songwriter Paul Macleod, (to name a few) prove her songs are as varied and versatile as the artists that support her.
From the solid introductory track "As the Crow Flies", and the catchy and uplifting "Till we meet again," she has proven her ability as a strong songwriter. French also expands her creative versatility on the Burton Cummings duet "To the Death", vocal abilities on (my favorite) convincing interpretation of Kate Bushs’ "Running Up that Hill". I enjoyed all 10 of these songs. They kept my interest, and prompted me to press play again, and listen more intently each time.
For those of you in the know of Danielle's former record Me Myself and I, will no doubt be thrilled with Piece. For those not yet, this is an excellent place to start. Watch for show dates, she is as interesting and dynamic live as she is on disc. Impressive…
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Danielle's hypnotic passion strikes you from the opening lines of Piece
author: Dan Brisebois
This Calgary native is steadily making a name for herself across North America as one of the most refreshing takes on the pop scene in recent years. Melodic and well-thought out, PIECE is her third disc and it's putting a new face on the old traditions of modern music.
Over 3 years between albums has allowed her the time to grow as an artist and this could very well be her break-out. Her hypnotic passion strikes you from the opening lines of the lead-off "As The Crow Flies". The lyrics themselves are a gem, full of soul and emotion, indicative of the entire album. Danielle's influences are apparent and numerous, as a number of helping hands show up on the disc. Don Kerr (ex Rheostatics and Ron Sexsmith), Paul MacLeod of the Skydiggers and Jonathon Lewis of The Plaid Tongued Devils are just some of the who's who. But it's the cameo from legend Burton Cummings that naturally gets the most attention. One of Canadian pop's sleeper hits of the year is "To The Death", their sort of gypsy melody that provokes a second listening, then a third ... and so on ...
With the exception of Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill", the album is a collection of original works that are a culmination of life experiences - personal and intimate, yet still broad appealing. With the Bush cover Danielle manages to stick with the original, yet still put her own mark on it, adding an even more haunting feel to a song that already bordered on brooding.
With John Sorensen (Rolling Stones, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beck) behind the controls, she's managed to capture an exceptional bit of pop, masterfully produced and sure to make labels take notice. Full of restrained vigor, it's cross-over between the pop and folk worlds is staggering. In fact, she's played a number of folk festivals in her career. She's showcased her talents on some of the biggest stages in North America, including an appearance at the 1997 Lilith Fair, opening for the likes of Gowan, Barenaked Ladies, Melanie Doane and Holly Cole and guesting on Rita McNeil's CBC variety show.
She's taken her time, making sure she got it right, a balladeer that takes her art seriously. She could very well be the next Arden, Siberry or McLaughlin. "Howard's Song" and "I Will Not Fall" both showcase an album full of highlights. Her ability to avoid the mainstream cycle but still gain credibility for her unique approach is rare and refreshing. This rising star's sky is the limit. Her world is her artistic backdrop. Pay attention ... you'll be hearing more from Danielle when the traditional stigmas come around to her way of thinking.
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