Sarah McLachlan Solace CD

Live Recording

Personnel: Sarah McLachlan (vocals, acoustic guitar, piano); Leo Nocentelli (guitar); Bill Dillon (guitar, billatron, mandolin, guitorgan); Deni Bonet (violin, viola); Peter "Harpy" Conway (harmonica); Pierre Marchand (keyboards, organ, electric guitar, percussion); Alan Geveart, Jocelyne Lanois, Hugh MacMillan (bass); Daryl Exnicious (bass, background vocals); Ash Sood, Paul Brennan (drums); Ronald Jones (drums, tambourine); Michel Dupirre (percussion).
Solace is at once comforting, mysterious, expansive, timeless, and familiar. The sophomore jinx was certainly eluded here, as McLachlan sets forth a superior collection of songs and performances with the help of longtime producer Pierre Marchand. The opening track, "Drawn to the Rhythm," serves its title well and does the job of luring you in. Intelligent, intriguing lyrics and lilting melodies abound, whether amidst the pulsing rhythms of "Into the Fire" and "Back Door Man" or the quietly profound stories of "Home" and "Shelter." Although pretty much all of the tunes will grab you at one point or another, "The Path of Thorns (Terms)" and "I Will Not Forget You" are especially memorable, the latter not to be confused with McLachlan's "I Will Remember You," which appears on the 1995 soundtrack for The Brothers McMullen. Solace is a wonderful record that offers a glimpse of the astounding talent of a young Sarah McLachlan. ~ Kelly McCartney
SOLACE is Sarah McLachlan's sophomore effort, and while it would take one more album (FUMBLING TOWARDS ECSTASY) to fully break into the US market, this disc caused a considerable ground swell in North America, particularly McLachlan's native Canada. This was largely due to the second track on the disc, the triumphant, Sinead O'Connor-influenced single, "Into the Fire."
In 1992, at the young age of 24, McLachlan had a very real command of the pop idiom, and her songwriting was not only mature, it was rare and exceptional. The gothic vocal piece "Mercy" and the atmospheric "Home" are quite evocative. However, the highlight of SOLACE is the poignant "I Will Not Forget You." On this track, a wash of guitars and subtle piano chords are supported by rich percussive textures (which clearly recall Peter Gabriel's seminal records). The final song on the album, "Wear Your Love Like Heaven" arrives on the heels of several dense, brooding tunes, and this radiant Donovan cover ends SOLACE on an upbeat note.

Q (3/95, p.119) - 3 Stars - Good - "...McLachlan mostly comfort[s] herself on the end of a dysfunctional relationship in a voice that blends Kate Bush and Clannad's Maire Brennan over sighing, pulsing musical backdrops..."