Canadian songwriter Jennifer Castle’s seventh album Camelot is a real fusion of the fantastical and the mundane, one flowing seamlessly into the other through themes of mysticism – apt, given the mystical, legendary seat of King Arthur’s court from which the album draws its title – as well as Mother Nature, magic, self and other.
It is a portrait of an artist at early middle age, reflecting on life, the people she has met along the way, the joys and the constant battles against outside influences such as the government, the entertainment industry, cynics, critics and lovers.
Castle unites a real tour de force for this album, which was co-produced by Jeff McMurrich, including Carl Didur (piano and keys), Mike Smith (bass), and Victoria Cheong (backing vocals), plus special guest Cass McCombs on track ‘Lucky #8’.
We begin with the title track ‘Camelot’, the epic scale of the legend condensed down into a relaxed ballad until Castle’s evocative vocals swell to equally epic levels.
There are songs saturated in self-doubt and uncertainty, such as ‘Trust’, in which the singer turns inwards to question who to trust in a sea of people wanting to influence her, all insisting that they can help her make the best choices (politicians, the church, doctors and gurus, to name a few).
Others spark with a real zest for life, including ‘Lucky #8’, its energetic vibe and bright guitar rolling along with the drums; and ‘Full Moon in Leo’, which sees Castle dancing around the house near naked, letting it all go to cool guitar riffs and living in the moment. Leo is also a saturation point on the album for the mystic and fantastical, featuring the fountain of youth, a blue lagoon, unicorns and the Zodiac.
And then Castle invites us right into the most intimate spaces of her mind with the pared-back ‘Earthsong’, opening herself up to a vulnerable state of being and inviting us to do the same.
Camelot – the legend has seen so many different portrayals throughout history and in culture (films, books, and TV series). In a similar vein, by the time we reach middle age, many of us have cycled through quite a few versions of ourselves on our quest to find our true selves. Perhaps this is precisely what Jennifer Castle is reflecting on with this mystical and profound musical offering. See what you think.
