Ann Vriend : When We Were Spies

<img src="http://www.qromag.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/annvriendwhenwewerespies.jpg" alt=" " />Country-soul crosses the northern border with Ann Vriend’s <em>When We Were Spies</em>....
6.8 Self-released
2008 

 Country-soul crosses the northern border with Ann Vriend’s When We Were Spies. The Edmonton, Alberta singer/songwriter has been playing in her native Canada and Europe for a few years now, but her sound definitely draws upon the hills and valleys of the ol’ U. S. of A.  While she does sometimes dip too far into the dreaded ‘new country’ well, Agent Vriend moves with ease behind enemy lines.

Spies opens with its latest single, “(If We Are Not) Spies”, some great, catchy pop-country-soul that benefits from electronica inflections.  However, it is a little unfair to start off a record on such a high note, as the following pieces can struggle in the shadow of “Spies”, such as the similar, but not as weighty follower, “Central Park Monday”.  Vriend’s cover of Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World” also has a shadow to deal with, that of Young’s classic original, and while the differences stand out in the title chorus line, the verse carries.  She mixes it up a bit with the alt-country-rock of “Start Over” and country-diva-sad of “Radio”, but she’s stronger when she sticks to the stylings of “Spies”, such as on the bigger first single, “St. Paul”.

The second half of the record, however, sees Vriend go slower and grander, and while the tracks don’t reach the heights of her catchy singles, the overall results are stronger.  The heartfelt nature of “How the Lights”, the uplifting horns and saloon piano of “Where You Are”, and the winning attitude of “The Agreement” all hold up well.  However, finishers “Hallowe’en” and “Take My Hand” sometimes get a little overdone.

To most Americans, The Great White North is a land of polite Ontarians, French-speaking Québécois, drug-addled British Columbians, and frozen Mounties.  But there’s this vast land between the country’s east, west, and north, Canada’s own ‘Wild West’, where taxes are low, guns are plentiful, and oil-booms fuel the economy – if Oregon is California’s Canada (as Stephen Colbert always mock-derides), then this is Canada’s Texas.  And out of it comes Agent Ann Vriend, who, with When We Were Spies, hopefully won’t be a secret anymore.

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