Butterfly Boucher

Over the last few years, if you’ve watched any television or gone to the movies, chances are good that Butterfly Boucher will be a familiar voice. The songs on her first album, Flutterby, found their way into TV shows, and Butterfly recorded a song with David Bowie for Shrek 2, also opening for Sarah McLachlan along the way. Not a bad way to come to national attention. But then, her record label dropped her and the album that was meant to come out right after Flutterby was shelved.

But now, after quite a wait, Boucher returns with the previously shelved Scary Fragile, an eleven song collection featuring her fresh and unique mix-up of pop and rock with a firmly indie sensibility. Her vocals swing effortlessly from powerful and full to whispery and fragile, and her music is full of great hooks that that defy classification. Boucher starts the album off with a bang. “I Found Out” begins with, “I can only be who I am/I can only do what I can/I won’t try to describe the relief.” She’s clearly comfortable and happy in her own musical world. The album would be the perfect meeting ground for people with all sorts of musical tastes. She manages to include several different styles while at the same time sounding completely original.

“Gun For a Tongue” finds Boucher warning against a girl with a “gun for a tongue”, reminding her listeners to take relationships seriously because one never knows when they’re going to be gone. The haunting title track finds the artist contemplating the world around us today, singing “It’s scary to be fragile in this turning world/This world it turns me upside down.” It is rare to find such a deep vulnerability in song form, and it’s beautiful. With refreshing openness like this, she will be an artist to watch.

With “Keeper,” her soaring vocals are in full-force as she tells her man, “I’ve been laying low/Taking it slow/But the game inside/What’s there to hide?/Oh tell that you need me /Tell me I’m a keeper/Tell me something I don’t know.” It’s a well-constructed song with a catchy melody, and again, her honesty takes center stage. This is a girl in love, uncertain if she is loved back. She follows it up with “They Say You Grow” and “Keeping Warm,” both solid songs that highlight her quirky instrumentation. (The piano-driven part running through “Keeping Warm” is especially fun.)

“To Feel Love,” one of the more memorable songs on the album, is a passionate cry, a hopeful song about finding true love. Despite the world around her fighting to crush those hopes right out of her, there’s still a buoyant joy here. There’s an excitement for what may come one day. The album closes with the elegant “A Bitter Song”. She bypasses the pain bitterness can have on a life by choosing to get it out in a song. And she closes out, whisper-singing, “I feel better/I feel better.” And so do we.

We can only hope that her next album comes much quicker than this one. But Scary Fragile was worth the wait.

Tagged as: Butterfly Boucher, Scary Fragile

↓ 2 comments

#1 Marc on July 18th, 2009 at 12:57 pm

A review that treats the album gently and respectfully, and well deservedly so. Well done!

#2 Lynn Renee Maxcy on July 27th, 2009 at 12:36 am

Thanks, Marc!

Does it Resonate with you?

Name

Email (will not be published)

URL