Sarah Hallman’s songs are honest and haunting explorations of those elusive and complex sensations that move the human heart. Scored primarily with guitar, her songs have the feeling of inner monologues, giving the listener the notion that they are eavesdropping on the musings of a gifted poet.
The first impression of her songs is a sense of weary withdrawal, as if she’s resigned to losing a little in life and love and has decided the struggle to do otherwise might not be worth the effort. “I won’t sap my energy trying to be who you would like,” a line from her song “Long Shot,” could be a kind of motto for her songwriting persona. And yet, while this moody, modest independence is reflected in her measured or even languid delivery, her songs overflow with originality. Her voice, a rare instrument all on its own, carries melodies that soar and swerve unexpectedly, and the chords under them are often ambitious without jarring or seeming to try too hard.
Her compositions celebrate the immense power of emotional honesty in giving music meaning and force. In fact, a better motto for her might be the last line from her second album, “Power to the sentimental.”
Hallman's songs alternate between compositions that are hook driven and those that are stripped down and feature the lazy, bittersweet tempos of alt country. In a live setting, Sarah purveys a huge stage presence, without force-feeding you with useless embellishment.
Since releasing one al …
Sarah Hallman’s songs are honest and haunting explorations of those elusive and complex sensations that move the human heart. Scored primarily with guitar, her songs have the feeling of inner monologues, giving the listener the notion that they are eavesdropping on the musings of a gifted poet.
The first impression of her songs is a sense of weary withdrawal, as if she’s resigned to losing a little in life and love and has decided the struggle to do otherwise might not be worth the effort. “I won’t sap my energy trying to be who you would like,” a line from her song “Long Shot,” could be a kind of motto for her songwriting persona. And yet, while this moody, modest independence is reflected in her measured or even languid delivery, her songs overflow with originality. Her voice, a rare instrument all on its own, carries melodies that soar and swerve unexpectedly, and the chords under them are often ambitious without jarring or seeming to try too hard.
Her compositions celebrate the immense power of emotional honesty in giving music meaning and force. In fact, a better motto for her might be the last line from her second album, “Power to the sentimental.”
Hallman's songs alternate between compositions that are hook driven and those that are stripped down and feature the lazy, bittersweet tempos of alt country. In a live setting, Sarah purveys a huge stage presence, without force-feeding you with useless embellishment.
Since releasing one album under the band name ’The Hollowings” in 2001, she has released two solo albums, as well as singing with the Hilotrons, and adding vocal harmonies for other Canadian songwriters and bands (Tanya Davis, Shannon Lyon, Matt Ouimet, Poorfolk, Octoberman to name a few).
Her sound is authentic and still unblemished by the mainstream music industry, and it is evident she is unafraid to do things her way.
