Adrienne Pierce Small Fires. Release Date : Originally 2002 Enhanced re-release June 8, 2004 Label: Insectgirl Records/ MapleNationwide Rating: Andy doesn't dig rating stuff. I’ve kind of drifted off listening to this record. I listened to it while traveling home on an overpacked SkyTrain from this evening’s fireworks. And I listened to it more at home. I continue to listen to it now as I write this, allowing it to become get-away music while I scan photos and do other simple computer-related tasks. And every time the disc turns around and begins again, I notice new nuances within it. A lyric that suddenly stands out, a story that becomes clear, or a subtle instrument I neglected to catch earlier because I was concentrating on the angry drunk kids on the train who flailed dangerously about. So, I’m amazed. The complexity that’s in this disc, and how effortlessly it seems to be carried off, is stunning. The album’s had a couple years to stew about since its initial indie release. Now, it’s under the mighty Maple umbrella (both label and distribution are different parts of said umbrella - not every artist is taken care of in both fields by Maple), which, let’s face it, is completely monopolizing the talent in this country these days. Good for them and their observant eye. The artists they have on their roster now could all be mixed and matched into various combinations seamlessly if they ever felt the desire to put on a bunch of different Maple-related shows. Adrienne Pierce, Danny Michel, Boy, Sarah Harmer, etc… Pierce has a very cute-sounding, gently ladylike voice that still manages to push out heaps of intensity, through well-placed breathy bits, different singing styles, and her painterly lyrics. The lyrics. The lyrics. The lyrics. Oh my god, the lyrics. So. Interesting. So perfect. So expressive with the vibe of each song. I think I’m in such awe of incredible lyricists because a) even though there’s a lot of lyrics in a lot of songs that are cool or flow well, it’s rare to find something so grandly artistic and interesting, so metaphoric, and b) I lack the ability to do this myself. Which is why I write about other peoples’ writing instead. Hah. Small Fires is perhaps disconcertingly eclectic, but through the one or two outta-left-field tracks stands the remainder of the CD, which is top-notch stuff. Perhaps it’s just a matter of having diverse influences and consequently trying to cover too many genres on one album. Not that this is a major issue for the most part. Eclecticism can be a grand thing, and this disc generally fits as a unit. I wonder about a song like “Small” though, which is one of the more dancey, upbeat songs on the CD. To me, it’s the only song that feels a bit forced, like, as she states in the song itself, it’s not my style at all. The only other thing that I have a slight nit with is the strangely abrupt song endings on a lot of the tunes. Either just a really unexpected brick-wall ending that throws off the flow, or a sudden and speedy fade-out. For the most part though, the CD is so smooth and natural. Where she really shines is in the earthy, Canadiana-type tunes like “Arizona” and the sultry lounge tunes, like “Psycho Therapist.” I'm reminded at times of Morcheeba or Life's Addiction. The bluesy vocal inflections and the urgent fall-offs at the end of some of the lines, the slithery whispers, the trill and innocent girlish moments juxtaposed against sultry ones… there’s such saucy and wistful stuff here. It’s the type of collection I would toss on if I were throwing a dinner party or opening a martini lounge. I can picture Pierce at times in a sparkly gown and long gloves, an orchid tucked behind her ear, crooning away on a velvet-draped stage to a room full of the upper classes. Other times she might just be lying in a warm field amongst a patch of daisies. Cute and childlike. It’s adorable, and smokin’ hot. Talk about your powerful female figures. She keeps her longtime moniker “Insectgirl” intact with a song by the same name, and dabbles sharply in forms of escapism with the perfectly-named “Absinthe-Minded.” As I touched on earlier, the instrumentation on the disc is golden. There’s electronics mingling with understated percussion, flowing with pianos and jangling acoustic guitar portions. So many little bits and pieces grow and form these musical landscapes. Just blindly listening to it, everything sounds so pure and perfect, like one set unit. It’s only when you really sit and listen through the layers and begin to pick out the instruments that you realize how complex it is. Some of the instrument tracks are so brief and quiet, or the sound only shows up once in an entire verse… Pierce has managed to put all this stuff together in such a way that it sounds like it belongs together so much, even though otherwise, these instruments have no business hanging out with one another. I first saw Adrienne Pierce a few years ago, doing a small set at New Music West. I was awed at the time by the diminutive gal’s fiery, passionate presence. It’s great to see the glow remains through the recordings. Small Fires… there’s nothing small about it. Lyric of choice : Something about Just a Sunday Drive / Not your Sunday best really gets me. From “Insectgirl.” Song of choice : “Arizona” is the single… great choice, as it’s a strong song with such great lyrics. But I think my top vote goes to “Death By Water.” Just such a cool song. Cellos rule. Pierce’s voice rings beautifully in it. It’s very dark. Listen to it here. -Andy Scheffler Elsewhere Adrienne Pierce website Published : July 28, 2004.