By Kevin Olsen
Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard believed that facing a crisis was necessary, even desirable, if a person was to arrive at an understanding of what he or she wanted to achieve in life. For Calgary native Andrea Revel, this maxim is all too true.
A decision to move to Montreal and abandon her teaching career, friends and family in order to produce her new CD, Citysong, has at times cast a shadow of turmoil across Revel’s path.
“I didn’t have any money, I didn’t know anyone, I was working in the house all the time, and I’m one of those people who needs to live to write,” she says. “It was a huge struggle for me, the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”
Many of you may already know Revel from her first album, Mile Zero, where she displayed her art-folk acoustic approach and dreamscape song writing style. On Citysong, genius electronica producer Mike McCann helped her to dip into the world of bleeps and beats while maintaining her folk identity.
“I had a lot of fear,” says Revel. “It’s really easy to make cheap, dimestore techno, but it’s very difficult to make clever, unique electronica. I’m just an outdoorsy nature girl, and here I am trying to write this sophisticated, urban music. I think I was trying to become someone else for a while. It was much easier when I let go of that, but I felt a lot of pressure.”
The experiment has not been a waste of time. The tracks reveal her new sound: elegant, hook-laden tunes, confidently performed, and painstakingly produced. Revel’s involvement with producer Mike McCann has had a huge impact on her both personally and professionally.
“He was honest with me, and that was really important. He hasn’t necessarily directed me entirely, but he has been very much involved in the creative process, and I’ve learned lots from that. He really knows his stuff.”
The album’s title track lays an infectious hip-hop groove behind Revel’s trademark finger-style guitar playing, and her vocals have never sounded brighter. “The Past is Never Past” showcases a more delicate use of electronic dynamics, giving this beautiful, world-weary ballad space and texture.
“I think the songs are commercially viable, but not sultry. I’m not going to prostitute myself just to get on the radio.”