Sarah Harmer: I'm a Mountain. CD Review @ buttonhole.com.au

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Welcome dear reader to Remnants & Relics, the first in an ongoing series of features looking back at various aspects of yesterday's video games. This series is one that I'd hoped to kick off many months ago, but I just haven't had the time to do it justice, until now. So consider this your opportunity to put on your best pair or rose-tinted glasses, open up a luke-warm can of clichés and prepare to hop aboard the way-back-machine.... It came from beyond two dimensions! -A Look Back at Isometric Gaming-

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Welcome Buttonhole readers to another feature that is so choc-full of goodness that I've divided it into several sections. The top half is about the Indy video games showcased at ACMI. The bottom half is about the Pixar exhibit. It's ridiculously long and all terribly interesting to read, so you may as well read it in two halves, or just the parts that interest you. After reading about the ACMI exhibits on their website and getting more than a little excited, I decided to make the perilous trek to inner Melbourne. With time on my side and money stuffed in my pocket I ventured forth to the train station. Once on board I passed the time by staring out the window, reading a volume of Dark Horse's Concrete and snacking on tasty fruit. Arriving at Flinders St, I wandered around until inevitably finding my way out of the rat-maze like station.

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"Here lies Spider-Man - Slain by the Hunter" So reads the grave of one of histories greatest superheros. "But he's not dead, is he? What happened to everyone's favourite web-slinger? Spidey seems to be alive and well now, what with his three movie deal and a string of monthly Marvel comic-book titles to his name, so why was he buried six feet under? The year is 1987. The company is Marvel. The character is Sergei Kravinov also known as 'Kraven the Hunter.' Back in the 60's Stan and Steve (Lee and Ditko, respectively) churned out a heap of cool villains for the title "Amazing Spider-Man." Doctor Octopus, The Cham

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Hatchy is a mountain climber

Sun, 11 June 2006

Hatchy

by: Hatchy

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This album, being the fourth from Canadian singer/songwriter Sarah Harmer, is a folk music recording with a bluegrass sensibility. The distinct absence of percussion on this album gives way to sweetly tuned guitars, fiddles, harmonicas and other traditional instruments, all working together to craft some very 'old style' music. Utilising her melodious singing voice to good effect, the whole atmosphere created by this album is very chilled with a natural, earthy vibe. Sarah's lyrics on I'm a Mountain are deep and emotional, combining songs of love and longing with political and social commentary.

Despite this being a genre that has barely changed (if at all) in 100 years, there is a decent degree of variance employed in the structure of the music used in each song. Some tunes are fast paced, such as the album's title track, whereas others are slow and soft like I Am Aglow and Goin Out. Even though the album features a cover of Dolly Parton's 1972 song Will He Be Waiting For Me, the tracks never actually branch into what could be considered traditional country music, so if you're after some pedal-steel goodness you're not going to find it here. In fact Sarah offers us something completely different with Salamandre, a song sung entirely in French. The last song on the album, How Deep is the Valley is the album's best. This is a beautiful song, with a soulful harmonica complimenting a softly strummed guitar. Both the lyrics and vocals combine with this to create 5 minutes and 7 seconds of reflective bliss. Escarpment Blues is another good song for our troubled times.

What I really liked about this album is that it has the timeless appeal of bluegrass music without the hokey, redneck charm that accompanies many other interpretations of it. There is nothing in here that is going to make you cringe at some song about a busted down pick-up truck and an empty bottle of bourbon. Musically, in keeping it traditional, this album will not change or challenge the fundamental dynamics of the genre. What I did like it for was its quaint and honest simplicity. It's an album for those lazy, relaxing Sunday afternoons when you're in the mood to sit back and just enjoy something natural resonating in your ears.

by: Hatchy

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More articles by Hatchy

A good achievement without being outstanding, this is a worthy album to try out if you're new to this style of music.