Holly McNarland - A Great, Undiscovered Talent

As I listen to the radio or watch the latest music videos today, I am constantly struck by the complete dearth of talent that's out there at the moment. Sure all these teeny-pop girls that are hitting the charts at the moment are awful pretty to look at, but that's where their depth ends. Most of them couldn't hit a correct note if their life depended on it and almost all wouldn't have any kind of career if the music video format disappeared tomorrow.
What makes all of this so much more annoying is knowing that there are talented artists out there who don't get the airplay or TV time simply because they don't fit a pre-conceived mold manufactured by the record companies to siphon off as much cash as possible from the teenage high disposable income crowd.

One such artist who is being sadly overlooked here in the US is Canadian singer-songwriter Holly McNarland. Her vocal talents are absolutely astonishing. At one moment crooning in a hearfelt whisper, and belting out a primal scream type vocal the next. It's enough to put the average pop diva's talents to shame. Her vocals are all the more amazing when you see her live and realize that incredible sound is coming from a petite 5'4" frame.

Discography -

Sour Pie - Released in 1995, this is a six song EP that is mostly acoustic with the odd electric guitar here and there. Not a bad track on here and my own personal favorite is "I Won't Stay", a beautiful song that showcases Holly's softer side.

Stuff - Her first full studio album, released in 1997. 11 full out blistering tunes that show off her whisper to a scream style of singing to absolute perfection. 11 great tracks but if I had to pick a few I'd say check out "Elmo", "Numb", and "Coward". It was around this time that I first heard of her. She showed up on a Canadian late night talk show and did a rendition of "Coward" that absolutely blew me away. I became an instant fan based on that performance.

Home Is Where My Feet Are - Released in 2002, this is a much more subdued album, but breathtakingly beautiful nonetheless. In the 5 years since the release of "Stuff" Holly had a child and the best track on the album, "Beautiful Blue" is a song about her son. Other highlights from that album are "When You Come Down", and "Dallas".

Chin Up Buttercup - Her newest release is just a few months old and I was lucky enough to be vacationing in Canada and pick up a copy. The album is a perfect mixture of the material on her previous 2 albums. Half the songs have a very laid back almost folky feel and the other half are all out rockers. The best examples of the two styles are "Every Single Time", a catchy pop tune that I dare you not to sing along to...2 and a half minutes of pure bubblegum pop. Then there's "Dear Pain", a blistering rock tune that shows off that incredible voice.

In between those there are a couple of live albums and a companion live DVD titled "Live At The Great Hall". I'd advise skipping the CD's and getting the DVD. It's a great performance, and it's the best way to really get the full range of her vocals. I hope that you'll all take the time to check her out, even if it is just the songs I mentioned, and if you like her, please support a great artist by picking up a couple of her albums and telling your friends.