After three years of silence, Arlington’s own Rachael Yamagata is returning with fresh new record, Chesapeake. The album was officially released October 11 on her own Frankenfish Records.
This album is a slight departure from stormy wooziness and generally sad overtones of her previous records. Instead, the lyrics on this album lean toward the optimistic side of love. In fact, Rachael says so herself in "The Way it Seems to Go" – "I’ll be the voice of hope in your darkest hour…I’m an expert in the silver lining." But, don’t let the brighter moments of this record fool you, there are certainly deeper emotional layers present. You get the feeling as the album progresses that the optimism is tinted with frustration, like her words are reaching out to grab and shake a hesitant lover that just refuses to come around and join her in the version of true love that she believes from skin to bone, down in her heart and in her gut. With that in mind, the album feels familiar and very real. It is a little bit sexy and pouty and it wants you to get close and feel it. (This album review was not supposed to be dirty, I swear.)
The songs embrace a rauchier version of jazz and the blues than much of Rachael’s previous recordings. In fact, when taken together with the sprinklings of subtle tribal beats and southern folk instruments, Chesapeake takes on a much more distinctively "American" sound, in a very classic sense. This fresh in spite of itself sound is a wonderful pair with her signature, breathy voice that so easily pushes listeners to brink of infatuation. There are also some very unexpected and impactful sonic moments remniscent of 90’s alternative and pop-rock, especially on the debut single, "Starlight."
My final thought is that Chesapeake feels like a natural progression from the heavy hearted, Elephants…Teeth Sinking Into Heart. But, it’s certainly less sad, and if sad is what you’re really into, then the shift in emotion on this album may leave you feeling a bit…well…sad. But for the rest of you, this album is a highlight worth checking out in an October that is absolutely full of great new releases.-Jarrett