Home is . . . no, scrap the proverbs. Home is a loaded term for many, and often needs more than a sentence to fully describe the complicated and conflicting emotions that it invokes. For Rae Spoon, home needs an entire album.
The latest release from indie/electronic artist Rae Spoon, My Prairie Home, “explores the meaning of home when it is no longer a place one can return to.” The album also forms the soundtrack to the twin-titled My Prairie Home, a documentary about the transgender musician and author’s history and growth.
“As a young person, Rae used music both as an escape and as a place to build a world they could live in safely,” says Spoon in their bio.
The musical landscape of My Prairie Home, though mostly aptly fitting into the indie/electronic category, hold both calm, prairie-like expanses and surprising hills and valleys.
On a purely musical level, “I Will Be A Wall” could be mistaken for an anthem, as it immediately rooted itself in my brain with upbeat bouncy bass and horns echoing the chorus line. A closer listen to the lyrics reveals a more sinister storyline, however:
“Hide the children / Hide the children a storm is coming / I will be a wall / I will be a wall / There are beautiful places that we can hide / Between the notes and the rhymes.”
They explain this tension in their bio: “Songs about death, coming out as queer during high school, and surviving abuse are all sung by a voice that can break a heart and fill it with hope at the same time.”
Each of Spoon’s songs are carefully crafted, and deftly lead the listener through musical vignettes that collectively form the history of their Prairie Home. Some songs, such as “God Was On Your Shoulders” and “Can’t Tear it From Me,” trace longer sections of the narrative. Others, like “Amy Grant” and “I Will Be A Wall,” are more deeply illustrated portraits of a place, feeling, or situation.
If you want to be moved and dance it out at the same time, look to “I Want.” With an up-tempo beat punctuated by a subtle, staccato guitar line, it’s hard to stay still and resist singing along to the defiant refrain of “I don’t care if it’s right or wrong / I just want what I want what I want.”
Beyond their storytelling and songwriting skills, Spoon’s live shows are not to be missed, as they blend the openness and vulnerability showcased in these songs with the quiet confidence of an artist who knows the road well.
Catch Rae Spoon at the Windsor Hotel on Nov. 23 for the Release of My Prairie Home. All proceeds from ticket sales ($10 advance/$15 door) will be put towards bringing Spoon to the third annual Manitoba GSA Conference as the keynote speaker. Check out www.raespoon.com for more details.
