“The Witching Hour” is a bewitching album. Marchan Noelle’s impassioned vocal delivery guides these lovely pieces. With an impressive range Marchan Noelle’s simple setup (a voice and a guitar) runs the gamut from folk to the angular precise work of bossa nova. Her lyrics explore want, desire, and the dynamics of relationships. Vocals are very strong and serve as the beating heart of the album. Each one of her songs has its own distinct narrative. By using her guitar as a canvas she is able to add color to her stories.
‘The Witching Hour (Acoustic)’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbRt4Df_UPA
For the opener “Take You Down” Marchan Noelle’s honeyed vocals help to ease the listener into her distinct world. Slowly the rhythm down considerably on “Pity the Fool” Marchan Noelle opts for more playful delivery, as the guitar jumps and skips with sweet tender tones. The stop start work of “Now and Then” is particularly elegant and serves as the highlight of the album. Quieter in tone is the deliberate work of “The Coffee Shoppe Around the Corner” whose work focuses on the minutiae details of life. Full of sadness is the reflective work of “Wicked”. Bringing things to a close is the time focused work of “Time’s Only Got One Rule” as it suggests a calm response towards the inevitable aging process.
Best taken in as a whole “The Witching Hour” is an album that reveals an entire life within the songs. These are living breathing testaments to the beauty that exists in the small moments of life.
Posted by Beach Sloth
