k.d. lang Brings Summer Love To Chilly Northampton
By RACHEL ZINN, Staff Writer
A cold winter is coming, but k.d. lang will turn up the heat next week when she arrives in Northampton as part of an extensive tour to promote "Invincible Summer," her latest album. lang has a long history as a popular singer, beginning her career as a Canadian country star in the early 1980s. She gradually moved towards a soft-rock sound and scored the hit single "Constant Craving" in the U.S. Her sound has continued to evolve, and the smooth, upbeat songs on her new album have a modern edge.

The CD stays true to its title with tunes focused on summer love. lang's effortless vocals give the album a consistently mellow feel, while the rich accompaniment lends variety.

The album's first single, "Summerfling," is a catchy pop tune that would be ideal for a drive to the beach. On her official website, lang says the song is the "thematic core" of the CD. "It's about how being in love makes you feel like it's summer all the time," she writes.

"Summerfling," like most of the tracks on the album, is based on a laid-back keyboard melody. The song is accented with an interesting orchestral string pattern and steady percussion that keeps the rhythm moving.

Displaying impressive versatility in "It's Happening With You," lang moves with surprising ease from verses with an alternative guitar-rock feel to a funky disco-pop chorus. The track even includes a pretty mandolin solo in the bridge. By blending her voice to the varied instrumentation, lang manages to fuse the contrasting styles in the song into a cohesive whole.

"Simple," a pretty ballad with soft percussion and a slow piano melody, lets lang show off her sweet side. Her website explains that this song is the most personal track on the album.

"I think of it as a mantra, a prayer or a hymn," lang writes. "It's about how love is really a simple thing, not nearly as complex or complicated as humans make it."

She later takes up the subject of passion in her sultry "When We Collide," a jazzy melody with a great combination of violins, guitar and bass.

She finishes the album with "Only Love," a song featuring similar instrumentation with a softer tone. Her invitation to "Let love carry you" wraps up the album on a positive note and leaves the listener with a sense of inner calm.

From start to finish, "Invincible Summer" works to warm frozen hearts and musically evoke the happy days of sunny seasons past.

Issue 11, Submitted 2000-11-29 22:10:34