Sarah Blacker Previews Official Release of New EP At Club Passim
Music is at its best when there’s a pure sonic quality to it. All the elements that come into play, ranging from the vocals to the instruments, are organic and there’s no need to have any fancy production techniques included. This is the exact impression I got from Boston singer-songwriter Sarah Blacker’s Horizon Line EP that’s due out on January 11. For folks to get a preview of the release, Blacker and her band consisting of her husband Aaron Z. Katz on drums & percussion, Phil Selesnick on the keys & bass and both Mark Lipman and Danielle Lovasco on backing vocals will be putting on a party at Club Passim on 47 Palmer Street in Cambridge this evening (January 5). The show starts at 8pm with the tracks off of the record along with other material from Blacker’s repertoire being performed.
The EP was recorded and mixed by Sean McLaughlin at his studio at 37' Productions in Rockland while Blacker handled the production with Katz. The resulting quality is harmonious and stripped down with both Blacker’s acoustic guitar and vocals having a major presence.
“The EP’s nature is raw, acoustic, live performances captured in a pro studio,” she says about the record. “I perform mostly with a band these days but due to life being as busy as it is, the start date for recording kept getting pushed back by all members involved. Finally, my husband was like, ‘Why don’t you just go into the studio and do what you do best? All of your albums have had a lot of production and instrumentation and folks have been consistently asking for something live.’ So that’s what I did!”
“All parts were performed and written by myself with the addition of some keyboards by my husband, Aaron Z. Katz,” Blacker adds. “All songs are about the construct of time, and how deeply things change.”
Along with the title track, there are two other songs that make up the EP with “Life Raft” and “Walk On”. Each of them has their own special characteristics, but you’re either going to have to stop by Club Passim tonight to hear them for the first time or wait until January 11 for its official unveiling. In the meantime, give the title track a listen below and make sure to give the Horizon Line EP a listen when it comes out.
