Fumbling Towards Ecstasy

Sarah McLachlan: Fumbling Towards Ecstasy! 1993 Arista / BMG Direct Issue! Personnel: Sarah McLachlan (vocals, acoustic & electric guitar, piano); Bill Dillon (guitar, Guitorgan, piano, bass); Jane Scarpantoni (cello); Michel Dubeau (saxophone); Pierre Marchand (piano, keyboards, bass, percussion, programming); David Kershaw (Hammond B-3 organ); Brian Minato (bass); Jerry Marotta (drums, percussion); Guy Nadon, Ashwin Sood, Lou Shefano (drums). TRACKS: 1. Possession; 2. Wait; 3. Plenty; 4. Good Enough; 5. Mary; 6. Elsewhere; 7. Circle; 8. Ice; 9. Hold On; 10. Ice Cream; 11. Fear; & 12. Fumbling Towards Ecstasy.

Pre-Lilith Fair, McLachlan had critical acclaim and a cult following but was otherwise just another hard-working female singer/songwriter--one who wasn't blasting down doors with overt sexuality or popping along in front of a male Svengali. Similar in their emotional urgency to her more recent work but delightfully less polished, these folk-rock songs are surprising gems. If not for McLachlan's poignant vocals, lyrics like "Your love is better than ice cream" (on "Ice Cream") would sound childishly absurd (especially alongside deeper material like "Hold On"), but here they're given just as much respect as the weightier issues she explores. A great album to accompany your moments of introspection. --Rebecca Wallwork