When they name the geniuses of our lifetime, Ferron should be included. The Boston Globe claimed, "Someday, they will call [Bob] Dylan the Ferron of the '60s." After more than 10 years away from the studio, Ferron returns with a strong CD, true to her folk roots.
Welcome Back Ferron
Appropriately, the album opens with “More than That,” whose lyrics proclaim, “Hello my friends, I feel so happy to be back. To feel so clean and on the track…”Ferron's music has never been light and Turning into Beautiful is no exception. It's the kind of album to sit with a glass of wine and your headphones to really ponder the nuances of her lyrics.
Ferron on a "Goat Path"
Who else has the courage to write a seven and a half minute ballad, 'Goat Path” a tribute to a deceased loved one? Ferron lyrics paint emotional pictures with deep and multiple meanings.“I dreamed of you in a red car coat, you were smiling and so alive. You waved to me from that other dusty road and I knew you have arrived.”
Ferron is a Seeker
“Souvenir” is reminiscent of Shadows on a Dime, Ferron's 1984 classic. Shelley Jennings slow electric guitar and Ferron's relaxed tempo speak to appreciating what you have and letting go of the things you have no power to change.Ferron is forever searching for life's answers. She sometimes takes herself too seriously, from “In the Mean Time”:
“I have wept upon the mountain, I have walked upon my knees. I have crawled along the rubble of broken promises and unmet needs.”
Ferron's Music doesn't Live up to her Lyrics
If there's one criticism of Ferron it's that her music is never as interesting as her lyrics. Her sound can be cyclical and redundant. But don't let that stop you from savoring one of the best lyricists of our time.
