WHITNEY ROSS-BARRIS

CURTAINS OF LIGHT

Independent Label

Whitney Ross-Barris, vocals/piano;

Whitney Ross-Barris is a melodic songwriter, singer and pianist based in Canada. She’s a pop singer for the most part, with strong lyrics and melodies that challenge her vocal range. Those melodies are also memorable. The first tune is titled, “Bourgeois Reverie.” It’s a catchy song that talks about feeling stuck.

But it’s her second track, a blues that I find more interesting.  Called “Up in the Night,” Ross-Barris sings it with heart and soul.

“Bird of Paradise” is another strong melody, up-tempo and pop, with an arrangement by Michael Shand. “Sentrees” was inspired by Whitney experiencing a week without power following an F2 tornado that ripped through her rural Ontario community.  On her original composition called “Stranger,” Whitney Ross-Barris continues her pop path, adding background voices and strings to the production.

I didn’t understand why she included the footsteps of passing feet and children’s voices for a tune she labeled “Park Life” that ran a quick seventeen seconds. It was somewhat of an interlude, but just didn’t seem to connect or belong to this album or the album theme.

“Sunrise” is a brief a ‘cappella choral arrangement.  A tune called “There You Are” is arranged at waltz tempo. It features the piano solo of arranger, Michael Shand. The background voices put a gospel-feel on this song, but Whitney Ross-Barris is pop to-the-bone.

Whitney’s album celebrates her strong songwriter talents. I was especially taken with her song, “Only at Night” that is quite beautiful.

WHITNEY ROSS-BARRIS BAND:  Eric St. Laurent, guitar; Lauren Fails, bass; Ben Wittman, drums/percussion; Michael Shand, piano/Wurlitzer/Hammond B3/guitar; Kevin Fox, cello; Drew Jurecka, violin/viola; Rebecca Hennessy, trumpet; Amy Peck, alto, tenor & baritone saxophones VOICES: Gavin Hope, Alex Samaras, Mary van den Enden, Miku Graham, Yvette Tollar and Michael Shand..

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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