If there is one thing that Sarah Jaffe will never have to contend with it is the idea that she is a female singer for females. There once was a time that being a female singer meant you would undoubtedly be put into an all too snug box. Is she an angry singer? An activist singer? A singer for the victimor the singer your mom bonds with you over? To be honest, when Sarah’s new CD Suburban Nature was released on May 18th she inserted herself into and destroyed all those boxes simultaneously, because Sarah is a truth singer...and no matter who or what we are we all need and want our singers to be truth singers. Jaffe’s words and voice seem like they are speaking to you, only to you, yet they contain a universal appeal evidenced by the fact that she has recently toured with Midlake and Norah Jones -- two completely different audiences who Jaffe, equally endearing and confident, easily won over.
Growing up in Red Oak, Texas, might not be ideal circumstances for breeding the kind of talent that is encompassed in Sarah’s songs, but it does beg the question of nature verses nurture. What we have in us before we are even us, and what we interpret because of life circumstances. Writing since her early teens, many of the songs featured on Suburban Nature were written long before she could even enter the clubs where they are now performed.
Interestingly enough the first single “Vulnerable,” was written when Sarah was only 17, long before even the material on her first EP, the acclaimed Even Born Again, was produced. Even so, it comprises everything that matters about her voice. If there is one thread that flows through all of Sarah’s work, it is grappling with the self-serving cycles that are in all of us, and the aftermath that those needs deal out. “I’m a fan of life’s wicked ironies. These things that reveal the truth from an aerial view nowhere near your perspective of the situation, and through these realizations you find redemption.” And so it is with Suburban Nature.
From opening track “Before You Go,” everything sounds as wide and deep as the Grand Canyon, the sonic spread covering every degree of the mix. It’s thick enough to feel when you breathe, but spatial enough to allow for the one thing that truly matters with singer/songwriters: their voice. When talking to the album's producer and engineer John Congleton (St Vincent, Polyphonic Spree, Explosions in the Sky, Clinic) about the spacious feel of the album, he had this to say on the matter: “I think it was intentional. Both Sarah’s and my feelings on this was that the vocal should be the focal point have as much space as possible, while the music provided an emotional backdrop.”
Skilled players such as Kris Youmans - cello (Bill Callahan, The Paper Chase, Micah P Hinson) Becki Howard – violin (The Crash That Took Me) Jeff Ryan – percussion (The Baptist Generals, St Vincent, Pleasant Grove) and Robert Gomez - guitar (as himself) provide this essential emotional backdrop. Just take a listen to “Pretender” for an example of the power and talent contained in this group of players. Layers of moveable music float in, out, under and over lines such as “So here we stand, like flowers in the cold, wilt and wither/Here's your chance/Tell me what you want/I'm a forgiver.” In other situations the group provide the perfect backbeat so Sarah is free to spin yarn that might not always be fact, but like we said, is certainly truth.
On “Clementine,” she sings, “We were young, we were young, we were young, we didn't care.” Although only 24 you actually believe her. You believe her because you believe that no matter what her actual age, she lived through the war of a relationship or fifty that aged her to her core, and now her soul speaks to yours in the places where you have aged, and set down roots that flow as grid in a suburb becoming part of your nature. This is why we need singers like Sarah Jaffe and albums like Suburban Nature: We need a truth singer to be a soothsayer, and help heal us in the broken places of our time.
Since the release of Suburban Nature, Sarah has toured constantly, hitting both Europe and the US with Midlake, as well as supporting such varied artists as Norah Jones, Lou Barlow, Centro-matic and Old 97s. “Clementine” Sarah’s debut single reached the #1 spot at various radio stations including Austin’s influential KGSR and Sirus’ Spectrum. Sarah and Suburban Nature landed in many 2010 “Best of Lists” including: Paste Magazine’s 10 Best New Solo Artists, 50 Best Albums, and 50 Best Songs; Amazon.com’s Best Albums and Song’s; USA Today’s Pop Candy 100 People of 2010.
Sarah released The Way Sound Leaves a Room, a CD/DVD combo in Fall 2011. In early 2012, Sarah released the follow up to Suburban Nature, The Body Wins.
Either Way
Sarah Jaffe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Total disregard
It's not what I paid for
Blue state, red state
Alone in the war
Much to my dismay
Total disregard
It's not what I paid for
Blue state, red state
Alone in the war
Much to my dismay
Shouldn't it be simple either way
Shouldn't it be simple either way
Forget what you came for, it's gone
Unaccounted for
Forgetting is easy
Blue state, red state
Alone in the war
In the mess we've made
Shouldn't it be simple either way
Shouldn't it be simple either way
Alone in the war
Forgetting is easy
All that to say, all that to say
Alone in the war
Forgetting is easy
All that to say, all that to say
Communication lost
Total disregard
It's not what I paid for
Blue state, red state
Alone in the war
Much to my dismay
The lyrics of Sarah Jaffe's song, Either Way, explore the theme of frustration and disappointment in communication and political division. The lines "Communication lost, total disregard, it's not what I paid for" suggest the breakdown of a relationship or connection due to a lack of effort in communication, which leads to a feeling of being shortchanged.
The mention of "blue state, red state" reflects the current political divide in the United States, where individuals feel alone in a war between two opposing sides. The line "shouldn't it be simple either way" highlights the desire for a simple and easy solution to this divisive issue. However, the simplicity sought after is missing, leading to a feeling of being lost and confused in the political landscape.
The repetition of the phrase "alone in the war" emphasises the isolation felt by individuals when politics and communication fail. The last line, "much to my dismay", further adds to the frustration and sadness felt by those who were hoping for a different outcome.
Line by Line Meaning
Communication lost
There is no communication between us anymore
Total disregard
You are ignoring my feelings and actions, completely disregarding them
It's not what I paid for
Our relationship or situation is not what I expected or wanted
Blue state, red state
Our political and social differences are dividing us
Alone in the war
We are both fighting our own battles, without any support from each other
Much to my dismay
I am disappointed and upset about the current situation
Shouldn't it be simple either way
Our disagreements and differences should not be this difficult to resolve
Forget what you came for, it's gone
What you were hoping to achieve or get from our relationship or situation is no longer attainable
Unaccounted for
There are things missing or unexplained, with no one taking responsibility for them
Forgetting is easy
It is easier to forget about our issues than to confront and address them
In the mess we've made
We have created a complicated and challenging situation for ourselves
Alone in the war
We are still fighting our own battles, with no signs of cooperation or compromise
All that to say, all that to say
After everything that's been said and done, our situation remains the same
Contributed by Christian W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.