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Folk, folk rock, indie folk, singer-songwriter, traditional.

Andrea von Kampen is on a mission, and that mission is an integral part of her new album, Sister Moon. While Sister Moon is based on the writings of St. Francis of Assisi and Richard Powers’ novel, The Overstory, the album delivers songs that succeed in a myriad of ways, never preaching or overreaching.

Von Kampen knows that you can’t simply hit people over the head and hope they will immediately come to see what you are talking about. “You can yell at people all day long about how the world’s on fire and we need to help them now, but that won’t change them. Tell them a story of beauty, nature, loss and change and that might help to shift their consciousness,” she admits.

Rather than revealing all its secrets at once, Sister Moon opens simply with von Kampen’s acoustic guitar playing gently. The piano wells up so smoothly that one almost doesn’t notice when it enters with her vocals. Beyond the voice and the music, it takes a minute to realize when she sings, “Sister moon/ Will your tides rise up too soon,” this is a song with a critically important environmental message.

Choosing material often isn’t a problem for singer/songwriters, but von Kampen travels a bit further afield, with lyrics penned by St. Francis of Assisi for Such Love Does. The track plays against a background of acoustic guitar, violin, cello, and piano, all handled gently and lovingly. The beauty of those 24 words speaks volumes. It’s hard to believe those few words were written centuries before; Andrea von Kampen has a firm grasp on what she is trying to achieve.

Finding just the right blend of instruments, these songs shine brightly. The brilliance of the trumpet creates the perfect counterpoint for Cedar Street. With a series of recordings dating back to 2015, her music challenges listeners while retaining an effortless grace. von Kampen doesn’t pull any punches, yet her messages are delivered without rancour. Looking backwards and forwards, August marks the challenges and changes confronting people. As she sings, “In this late summer heat/ I’m scared of/ All the things they’ll miss/ Decembers turning white,” the message, while impossible to miss, plays out most gently.

While more than a hint of apprehension permeates Sister Moon, Andrea von Kampen rises to the moment, never pulling her punches but telling them with a style and grace that illustrates her concern while illuminating a way forward.
Tracks:
01. Sister Moon
02. Mimas
03. Juniper
04. Cedar Street
05. Such Love Does
06. Cottonwoods
07. Robin
08. August
09. Wonder
10. A Fox, A Bird

Staat er compleet op, 10% pars mee gepost. Met zeer veel dank aan de originele poster. Laat af en toe eens weten wat je van het album vindt. Altijd leuk, de mening van anderen. Oh ja, MP3 doe ik niet aan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7EIhzknq-8