Laura Cantrell
Humming by the Flowered Vine
Matador

Usually, when I’m listening to a female country singer, I feel the urge to plug my ears. Something about that crooning female voice reminds me of every stupid stereotypical image of a woman waiting faithfully for her man to come back from a war or long journey. Add in the typical country fare of lyrics about love and loss and I’m just about recalling every Lilith Fair joke I’ve every heard/made. So, when I first heard Laura Cantrell’s gentle, accent-free voice, I was a bit taken aback. Upon actually listening to the album, I realized that I really should not have been so weary because Cantrell, though occasionally singing about topics of love, generally tends to focus more on the distinctness of personal experiences.

With such titles as “Khaki & Corduroy,” “Bees” and “California Rose,” Cantrell makes it clear that her interests lie in small things. “Bees,” the track from which the album title emerges, Cantrell sings, “Searched the street for old friends, met only strangers… none who would take me home. I miss the bees, I miss the honey, I miss them humming by the flowered vine,” capturing rather aptly her longing for some irretrievable past by associating it with the inevitable turn of seasons. Time passes, flowers grow, bees die, loves are lost are you are left utterly alone. Accompanied by simplistic guitar chords and reverberating drumbeats, Cantrell’s singing sounds much like the echo of a deep canyon: Faint, fading, and utterly alone.

Even when Cantrell does sing about love and heartbreak, she does so without drowning the song in woes and whining. “14th Street,” the opening track, is disconnected from heartbreak associated with pining after an unattainable love, but yet completely captures the frustration of infatuation in a toe-tappingly catchy tune about stalking and taking things too seriously. And, even in her more serious songs, Cantrell is able to step back and sing with honesty and sincerity beyond her years.– Natalie Tsu