2008 marks a very special occasion for k.d lang fans. Watershed, released this February, is lang’s 10^th studio album, but her first comprising original material since Invincible Summer in 2000. Over recent year lang has remained busy, releasing a live album, a collaboration with the great Tony Bennett and her acclaimed Hymns of the 49^th Parallel, which featured cover versions of songs by iconic Canadian singer-songwriters including Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young.

Already an established singer/songwriter, Watershed is lang’s first attempt at Producer, in turn making this in intensely personal project for her. Overall, lang utilises a masterful collection of acoustic guitar, hand percussion and strings to produce an album that combines gentle country twang with bosa nova and a lazy Sunday groove. Her dulcet vocal tones a perfect accompaniment to the already moody musical edge.

Although opening track and first single off the album, I Dream of Spring, can at first be considered mellow and relaxing, it actually turns out to be one of the more upbeat songs of the album, if you could call it that. And if the banjo opening and introduction to lang’s commanding voice wasn’t enough to attract my attention, her mention of Melbourne (being a proud Melbournian) in the opening verse most certainly was (“I’ll return from the sheets of Melbourne, I’ll return my love”). With background strings and prominent steel and acoustic guitar, lang takes us on a journey most resembling a dream.

And perhaps it’s this dream-like state that k.d is hoping to project onto her listeners. She refers to a dream or dreaming in no less than three songs out of the 11 on the album, including French titled Je Fais La Planche and enchantingly beautiful Close Your Eyes.

Watershed is lang cut open, both creatively, musically and personally.

Another prominent theme of Watershed is love. But not the self-longing, pitiful kind. Although the mellow mood can be misleading, this album isn’t one of pity. It’s actually quite powerful and controlled. In Once in a While, KD sings “I will make you happy baby, I will make you smile, I will drive you crazy babe, Once in a while” and in Thread, lang explores both sides of the love equation over a candlelit dinner (or so the music defines for me), “One says love is tragic, On says miracle, One becomes a skeptic, One is vulnerable”.

Personally, the stand out song of the album is Shadow and the Frame. Much of the album follows a similar formula, with songs beginning musically dulled and lang’s voice at the forefront, leading into a more powerful musical accompaniment. However in Shadow and the Frame lang’s voice remains central, the music a mere afterthought, except for the interlude halfway through. This would be an amazing song to hear performed live, as k.d’s voice displays so many emotions at once, fragility, enlightenment, empowerment, and sadness, all the while exhibiting lang’s controlled but exceptional vocal range. If Watershed has been criticised for being too ‘held back’ vocally, Shadow and the Frame is the one example that negates that argument.

Renowned for being an intensely private individual, lang has instead preferred to communicate through her lyrics (and her activism, often performing at and supporting various causes, including HIV/AIDS research and PETA). Watershed is k.d lang cut open, both creatively, musically and personally.

Tracklisting:

1. "I Dream of Spring" – 4:00
2. "Je fais la planche" – 2:51
3. "Coming Home" – 3:26
4. "Once in a While" – 3:27
5. "Thread" – 3:38
6. "Close Your Eyes" – 4:26
7. "Sunday" – 4:17
8. "Flame of the Uninspired" – 3:30
9. "Upstream" – 3:37
10. "Shadow and the Frame" – 3:07
11. "Jealous Dog" – 2:32

Watershed has also been released as a deluxe limited edition, with addition live recordings and a video interview with k.d.

Bonus live tracks

1. "I Dream of Spring" – 3:45
2. "Wash Me Clean" (Lang) – 4:11
3. "The Valley" (Jane Siberry) – 6:20
4. "Hallelujah" (Leonard Cohen) – 5:22

Tags: k.d lang