Newcomer is recognised as a rare breed of singer/songwriter: the kind who illuminates life with startling depth, humor and clarity. Her ability for sharp observation of the world lead the Dallas Morning News to rave, "She's the kind of artist whose music makes you stop, think and then say, 'that is so true'." Mining what is true, Newcomer's latest Rounder release, Before and After is a multi-layered work that invites the listener to slow down and reflect on the experiences that have changed and shaped our lives. On Before and After, Newcomer remarks, she has "peeled back another musical and emotional layer". The result is melodious and smooth, infused with classic Newcomer grace and honesty, so that, she says "there is something unguarded and naked about this album."
Praised by Billboard as a "soaring songstress," Newcomer is an acclaimed musician who continues to create music from her uniquely spiritual and poignant take on the world. Before and After is no exception, highlighting Newcomer's ability to blend her rich alto with a poetic lyricism on a skillfully arranged and performed collection of folk roots tracks, with Appalachian and classical influences. "The joy and challenge in creating this album was endeavoring to be fearlessly uncluttered and subtle," Newcomer says. The title track features an unforgettably haunting and beautiful duet with a special guest appearance by Mary Chapin Carpenter, launching the album with a remarkable collaboration from two of acoustic music's most resonant female vocalists.
Recorded and produced by Newcomer and David Weber at Airtime Studios, Before and After is Newcomer's twelfth release on Rounder, with prior albums including Regulars & Refugees, The Age of Possibility, The Gathering of Spirits, the Betty's Diner collection and her last critically acclaimed album The Geography of Light. Before and After results from working closely with a core of exceptional musicians, including Gary Walters on piano, Chris Wagoner on violin, mandolin, dobro and accordion, Mary Gaines on cello, Byron House on upright acoustic bass, Jim Brock on percussion, Keith Skooglund on guitar, and a second stunning duet featuring special guest Krista Detor on "Do No Harm." At the center is Newcomer's adept guitar work and resonant voice, which the Austin Statesman has described as being "as rich as Godiva chocolate." The album's artwork features the work of Hugh Syme, whose sense of magical realism captures Newcomer's joyous idea about finding miracles in common places.
On Before and After, the listener experiences a deep connection through Newcomer's lyrics, which explore life with a progressive spiritual sensibility. The Minneapolis City Pages wrote, "Newcomer's musing is deeply introspective, but she offers it with a poet's sense of nuance and a folkie's common touch, turning philosophical theory into the stuff of people's daily lives." On the captivating title track, Newcomer ponders the notion that "We live our lives from then until now, by the mercies received or the mark upon our brow" - exploring the large and small experiences by which we mark our lives. On "Stones in the River" she tenderly reveals that we may never see fruit from the seeds we plant today, but regardless, it is still vital that we plant them. She holds close the insistence of hope in "If Not Now" ("But miracles do happen every shining now and then") in a style reminiscent of the richness and depth of the traditional spirituals. From the cinematic lushness of "Before and After" to the elegant string accompaniments of "I Do Not Know Its Name," to the lighthearted and poignant "I Wish I May I Wish I Might," Before and After is both timeless and contemporary.
Newcomer, a Quaker, cuts across secular and spiritual boundaries. In recent years, she has emerged as a respected and recognized artistic voice for the progressive spiritual community. On Before and After, Newcomer continues to be inspired by her friendships and recent collaborations with leading authors and theologians, including Parker J. Palmer, Phillip Gulley, Scott Russell Sanders, Jim Wallis, Brian McLaren, Jill Bolte Taylor, Richard K. Thomas and Barbara Kingsolver. Her relationship with this community influenced many of the album's compelling themes and inspired the songs: "Do No Harm," "Stones in the River," and "I Wish I May, I Wish I Might."
Newcomer has worked with many notable artists throughout her career and has met with critical acclaim for her music. In 2008, she was listed as one of the Top Most Influential Artists of the past 25 Years by Boston's WUMB. Her successful 2008 release, The Geography of Light, also earned her Artist of the Year and Album of the Year from Folk Wax Magazine. She has toured with Alison Krauss and Union Station in Europe and the U.S. and recorded the title track of her 2002 The Gathering of Spirits album with Krauss. Krauss went on to introduce Nickel Creek to Newcomer's song "I Should've Known Better," which the band recorded on their Grammy-winning, gold-selling album This Side (produced by Krauss). Currently Carrie is writing a collection of essays and a musical based on the characters and music of Betty's Diner with author, playwright and internationally recognized sound designer Richard K. Thomas.
Newcomer's music has been praised in Rolling Stone, The Village Voice, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Acoustic Guitar, Performing Songwriter, Paste Magazine and several other outlets. In the words of acclaimed writer Barbara Kingsolver, author of The Poisonwood Bible, "Carrie Newcomer is much more than a musician. She's a poet, storyteller, snake charmer, good neighbor, friend and lover, minister of the wide-eyed gospel of hope and grace."
In the fall of 2009, Newcomer was invited by The American Center, the cultural outreach division of The American Embassy in India, to represent the U.S. as a cultural ambassador. Newcomer performed concerts for Indian audiences and young people involved with community service, taught workshops on songwriting, community service, and met and performed with contemporary, traditional and classical Indian musicians. She also visited slum programs for women and children at risk throughout the country of India. About her impressions of India, Newcomer says, "Music can be a language deeper than words. I love our differences. Cultures are rich and what makes each culture unique is to be celebrated, but I was powerfully moved by what we share as a human family."
www.carrienewcomer.com
Nomads
Carrie Newcomer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've haven't slept for hours and hours this time
I get the jitters in my legs, I get wound so damn tight
NI can't turn off the voices talking in my head at night
Nothing is ever really gone, it's all here in my mind
A face will rise you to the surface, smile and fall below the waterline
Living in a circle not a line
Just seeing how much compassion in the world we'll fine
Like nomads
Childhood races quicker than the speed of sound
You were once my baby, soon you're be walkin' around downtown
I've been working long hours, I've been out there on the road
Hopin' when I come home you're someone I still know
Someday I'm going to fly like an angel in the air
Someday I'm going to close my eyes and be halfway there
Someday I'm going to hear a voice I heard once in a dream
In this song, Carrie Newcomer talks about the struggles and challenges faced by people who live on the border and the difficulties they go through every day. The song highlights the physical and emotional hardships experienced by people living and working on the line. The lyrics suggest that the singer is unable to sleep due to the constant flow of thoughts running through their mind, and they feel wound up and stressed out.
The singer mentions how memories never fade away; they remain with us forever, and sometimes they rise to the surface and get replaced by newer memories. The chorus of the song draws a parallel between the nomadic lifestyle of people and the ebb and flow of waves on the water. The line, "Like nomads," suggests that people sometimes live their lives without a settled or permanent home, moving from place to place.
The song touches on other themes such as the passage of time, changes in relationships, and the hope for a better tomorrow. The lines "Childhood races quicker than the speed of sound / You were once my baby, soon you'll be walkin' around downtown" suggest the fast pace at which life progresses, and how children grow up too quickly. The song ends on a hopeful note, suggesting that someday, things will get better.
Line by Line Meaning
It's hard out on the border, it's cold out on the line
Working on the border is tough and the weather is harsh
I've haven't slept for hours and hours this time
The singer has been awake for a long time
I get the jitters in my legs, I get wound so damn tight
The singer is very anxious and restless
NI can't turn off the voices talking in my head at night
The artist struggles with intrusive thoughts that keep them up at night
Nothing is ever really gone, it's all here in my mind
Memories and experiences never truly disappear and are stored in our minds
A face will rise you to the surface, smile and fall below the waterline
Memories of a person can resurface and affect our emotions
Were like waves out on the water, we touch then move away
People's interactions are fleeting and temporary
Living in a circle not a line
Life is cyclical and we often revisit the same experiences
Just seeing how much compassion in the world we'll fine
The artist is searching for kindness in the world
Like nomads
The artist feels like a wanderer or traveler
Childhood races quicker than the speed of sound
Childhood passes by very quickly
You were once my baby, soon you're be walkin' around downtown
The artist is lamenting how quickly their child is growing up
I've been working long hours, I've been out there on the road
The singer has been working hard and traveling frequently
Hopin' when I come home you're someone I still know
The singer is worried about their relationship with their loved one changing over time
Someday I'm going to fly like an angel in the air
The singer dreams of freedom and independence
Someday I'm going to close my eyes and be halfway there
The artist hopes to achieve their goals and aspirations
Someday I'm going to hear a voice I heard once in a dream
The artist yearns for a connection to something or someone elusive
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: CARRIE ANN NEWCOMER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind