All of Our Names
Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah Harmer's 2000 debut,You Were Here, was justifiably lauded and it made her a star in her homeland, racking up platinum sales. Four years later she's brought forth an equally engaging set of 11 finely honed songs. After the friendly mid-tempo opener and its tale of roaming the countryside in winter, she fearlessly kicks up the decibel meter with the smartly propulsive "Almost," presenting a lustful crush with appropriate passion and the wallop of a rocker. Throughout it all, Harmer has a gifted eye for the small details that give human scale and resilience to the lyrics. The sense of place evoked is unmistakably linked to her home in Ontario's Quaker Valley, and perhaps not surprisingly,All of Our Nameswas recorded primarily at her rural abode. The album has all the breadth and depth of a work created in a big-city studio, but it also exudes a warmth and intimacy that can be attributed to the care and comfort afforded by the setting.--David Greenberger