August 06, 2014

Publication title: Statesman, vol. -, Iss. -, pg. –
Place: Unknown
Writer: Peter Blackstock

Weekend reviews: Sarah McLachlan, Paramore and Ray LaMontagne

In terms of pure talent, it’s hard to come up with another singer-songwriter in contemporary music who compares with Sarah McLachlan. A gifted tunesmith with several universally known folk-pop songs to her credit, she’s also a versatile instrumentalist and a spectacular soprano singer.

All of those strengths were on display Saturday night at ACL Live. Bouncing from electric and acoustic guitar to piano, she played two dozen songs that included her signature ballads “Angel” and “I Will Remember You” along with a fresh batch of compelling numbers from her new album “Shine On.” Her voice was a driving force throughout, and when she pushed it to its highest reaches on “Fear,” it was a breathtaking wonder to behold.

It would be nice, then, if she didn’t feel drawn to distract from her own considerable artistry. Twice during her two-and-a-half-hour, two-set show, she took time out to welcome a small handful of “social media contest winners” to the side of the stage for a brief personal chat, and in both cases, it ground the momentum of her music to a halt.