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
Streamline
Carrie Newcomer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To make ends meet at the ends of the songs
But I need new boots and you need new gloves
I'm getting' short on patience, and shy on love
For years I believe with an open heart
Now I'm just lookin' for the easy part
When I left that man there was a price to pay
When you're back on your own with your life in tow
It'll cost you more then you would ever know
For years I believed with an open heart
Now I'm just lookin' for the easy part
I can't go back now I have left it behind
Getting ready to fly, I'm feelin' Streamline
There's flashin' signs on every street
There's flshin' eyes in every person I meet
There's a belief you can live by the things you own
Believin' in the lies told on t.v. shows
So why in this world of spiritual decay
Do some fall down by some fly away
I can't go back now I have left it behind
Getting ready to fly, I'm feelin' Streamline
Naomi's looking frail but her spirit is strong
'Cause she's 94 years and sill lives on her own
Yeah the world gets heavy but your arms get light
You're paring down getting ready for flight
For years she believed with an open heart
Now she's just lookin' at the easy part
She can't go back now she has left it behind
Getting read to fly, I'm feelin' Streamline
There's something shimmering like wild birds
People are moving in silence talking without words
Knowing seeing nothin' but still believing
For years I believe with an open heart
Now I'm just lookin' for the easy part
I can't go back now I have left it behind
Getting read to fly, I'm feeling Streamline
In the song "Streamline," Carrie Newcomer reflects on the challenges of making ends meet and searching for simplicity in a world full of materialism and spiritual decay. She opens with the line "I thought it would get easier as I went along," referring to her career as a musician and the struggle to make a living. She realizes that despite her efforts to live an open-hearted life, she too is becoming consumed by the desire for convenience and ease.
Newcomer shares her own experience of leaving a relationship and how it comes at a price, financially and emotionally. She is critical of a society that judges people by their possessions and believes in the lies told on TV. She asks why some people "fall down" while others "fly away" in a world full of chaos and confusion.
The song concludes with a hopeful message, inspired by the story of Naomi, an elderly woman who has lived a long and fruitful life. Newcomer sees a shimmering light in the world, reminding her of the beauty and simplicity of life. She is ready to "fly" towards a more streamlined existence and face the challenges and joys that will come her way.
Line by Line Meaning
I thought it would get easier as I went along
I believed that as time passed, it would be easier to make money from my music.
To make ends meet at the ends of the songs
To earn enough money from the songs that I produce.
But I need new boots and you need new gloves
The financial struggle is ongoing, and we can't even meet basic needs.
I'm getting' short on patience, and shy on love
The pressure is affecting my emotional state, making me impatient and distant from love.
For years I believe with an open heart
I had a positive outlook and believed in the power of music.
Now I'm just lookin' for the easy part
I'm seeking the simplest way to survive and thrive.
When I left that man there was a price to pay
Leaving a relationship took its toll on me financially.
Cause you don't make much on minimum wage
Making a living is hard when you're paid the minimum allowed by law.
When you're back on your own with your life in tow
Returning to independence is challenging, with all of life's baggage in tow.
It'll cost you more then you would ever know
The cost of independence is greater than we ever imagined.
I can't go back now I have left it behind
I can't turn back now that I've started on this path.
Getting ready to fly, I'm feelin' Streamline
I'm preparing for the future and feeling focused and efficient.
There's flashin' signs on every street
In every direction, we're bombarded with messages about what we supposedly need to lead happy lives.
There's flashin' eyes in every person I meet
The pressure to conform and buy certain things is present in the very people we encounter.
There's a belief you can live by the things you own
Many people think that happiness, self-esteem, and success come from owning certain items.
Believin' in the lies told on t.v. shows
These beliefs are reinforced by the media, who encourage us to buy, buy, buy.
So why in this world of spiritual decay
In a world that feels disconnected from meaning, why do some people sink while others thrive?
Do some fall down by some fly away
Why do some people struggle while others seem impervious to their surroundings?
Naomi's looking frail but her spirit is strong
Naomi appears fragile, but her strength and resilience are apparent.
'Cause she's 94 years and still lives on her own
Despite her age, Naomi is fiercely independent.
Yeah the world gets heavy but your arms get light
Even when life gets tough, we can still find ways to feel lighter and freer.
You're paring down getting ready for flight
We're simplifying our lives to focus on what's truly important and prepare for the future.
There's something shimmering like wild birds
There's something magical and beautiful out there, like the flock of birds soaring above us.
People are moving in silence talking without words
We can connect with others without needing to speak aloud, in subtle but meaningful ways.
Knowing seeing nothin' but still believing
There's something we sense or believe in, even if we can't explain it logically.
For years I believed with an open heart
I was once more idealistic and trusting, and didn't let life's hardships get me down.
Now I'm just lookin' for the easy part
Now I'm focused on finding the simplest, most efficient solutions to life's problems.
I can't go back now I have left it behind
I'm moving forward, and there's no going back.
Getting read to fly, I'm feeling Streamline
I'm preparing to take off, unburdened by extraneous baggage or distractions.
Contributed by Brooklyn H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.