NANCY DUTRA plays Friday (February 15) at the Tranzac and Sunday (February 17) at the Delta Chelsea Hotel as part of Winterfolk. See listings. Rating: NNN
Nancy Dutra is all about careful craft and restraint. Yet for her debut album, the Toronto songwriter teamed up with producer/multi-instrumentalist Les Cooper, whose trademark gloss and dense textures detract from Dutra’s natural, unaffected voice.
At times Dutra is too lyrically restrained, leaving out concrete details that would give context and emotional impact to tunes about loneliness, lovers’ quarrels and the death of loved ones. That said, it’s quite a coup to have big-name Canadian folkies appear on a debut album: Justin Rutledge sings harmony and Ron Sexsmith appears twice, once on a co-write.
Oddly, Dutra saves her best material for the end, including I Cry, Bye Bye Baby and Mama Taught Me How To Pray. The latter has the specificity we’ve been waiting for, and is enhanced by lighter, more spacious production, Old Man Luedecke on banjo and Suzie Vinnick on backup vocals.
Top track: I Cry
