To borrow from Steven Tyler (or Gene Autry), Trentalange is back in the saddle again, after a four-year semi-hiatus from recording and performing — and the wait will be worth it, trust me.
Her new album is due on shelves Jan. 28.
Often twisting the knob a quarter-turn from the darkly tinted atmosphere of previous albums towards brighter, more soulful tones, Same Illusion hints at some of the pretty profound things that have occurred in this Seattle arts-scene darling’s life since 2009’s Awakening, Level One.
For starters, the singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/painter had a baby, a little girl… now a delightful toddler.
Make no mistake, though, Barbara Trentalange hasn’t forgotten how to rock, how to make some noise. Her ability to provoke thoughts and enhance moods remain undiminished; actually, it seems that motherhood has accentuated her lauded talents. Broadened her horizons.
I can only imagine the brainstorming session for the “Reconnected” video. What to do, what to do… “How about Barbara dancing in a field of lilies, half-clad in a sheet, with a screen-overlay of pastel raindrops falling?” “Footage of newborns at the zoo, interspersed with performance shots at some really dark, dingy dive bar, with drunks posing as Walking Dead zombies?”
“Eureka! I’ve got it! The whole thing will be just close-ups of Barbara’s face as she sings! It’s launched a thousand ships, after all; it can certainly launch an album.”
Ah, the beauty and genius of simplicity. An intriguing landscape to study, a lovely countenance to consider whilst soaking in Trentalange’s languid rock lullaby. Quite a diversion on a cold, rainy day as we wait for winter’s — and a new album’s — arrival.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYAok_UANT4
