Maria McKee
High Dive
Release Date: April 22, 2003
Label: Viewfinder Records
The Press Release
MARIA McKEE will release HIGH DIVE, her first new studio album in seven years, April 22 on her own Viewfinder Records. Vivid, complex and revealing, High Dive represents the singer, songwriter and musician at the peak of her strength and, for the first time, in full control of her work. MARIA plans to tour extensively with her band beginning early this spring.
Going back to her days as the charismatic front woman for the alt-country-punk band Lone Justice, MARIA always had someone to answer to. Describing the freedom of making an album for her own label, she says, "I have never felt more satisfaction in my life as a creative person, as a professional in the business. I certainly don't want to malign the major labels, but at some point that system can be stifling, and you don't really want to have a mentor put his arm around you and guide you along."
Produced, mixed and mastered by bass player, arranger and occasional co-composer Jim Akin in her Los Angeles hometown, the long-awaited follow-up to 1996’s Life Is Sweet magnifies MARIA’s passion for musical diversity. The luminous and wide-ranging High Dive opens with the rush of liberation of “To The Open Spaces,” a giddy hymn to the open road, only to end with “Worry Birds,” a meditation on youth and opportunity lost that begins as a whisper and climaxes as a throat-ripping catharsis.
There are shifts in mood as well, not just from one track to the next, but also in the middle of performances. "I need to amuse myself," she says. "I've got attention deficit disorder, in an artistic way, so I need to keep testing myself. This also means coming to terms with my past. You can hear that on this album; some of the songs, like 'Constellation,' aren't that far from some of the Lone Justice stuff."
Meanwhile, the songs on High Dive--many of which were written by McKEE on a sprawling Irish farm--are supported by engaging arrangements that vary from elaborate horn and string accompaniments on the title track, to simple piano trimmings on “No Gala.” Akin says, "In everything I did, the goal was to capture and compliment the range of emotions that MARIA projects," he explains. "She has more dimension and a greater capacity to express herself than anyone I've known. It was a challenge to fully explore the colors and yet maintain a cohesive quality to the album."
In addition to working on High Dive, MARIA has kept busy playing the occasional gig and contributing songs to such albums as the “Songcatcher” soundtrack and the 2003 Grammy-nominated Cajun music tribute Evangeline Made.
The Review
I believe there are two types of people in the world: Those that are fans of Maria McKee's powerful and emotion-filled vocals; and those that have yet to hear her. OK - I've heard of a third type of person: the ones who don't "get" Ms. McKee's venture into her own musical realm. They thought her work with Lone Justice was good, her voice divine, but her later works..... they just didn't get it. Well, they may not "get" HIGH DIVE either. But then again - this CD isn't for them.
From the opening strains of Wide Open Spaces you get the sense that you're really hearing Maria McKee. That she is there. All there. No gimmicks. All control. The songs included on HIGH DIVE have a poignant and honest feel to them that was only hinted at in previous releases. And just as a person has different personalities and facets, so does HIGH DIVE. There is a diversity amongst the music that hints at musical influences throughout the years, varying emotions and life experiences. Musical risks are taken with grace and surprise. My Friend Foe is a bit theatrical, while Love Doesn't Love is haunting as it leads you into an almost disco-ish groove. We Pair Off is a sexy song reminiscent of smokey clubs and flirty looks. Non Religious Building brings to mind the sweeping theatrics of Styx in their heyday. (Which is meant as a compliment as I happen to love Styx.)
There are no "filler" tracks on this disc. Each song is a treasure and an adventure in it's own right. My favorites so far are Be My Joy, High Dive, and We Pair Off. (I tried to pick one, and had a difficult time narrowing it down to three.) With this release, and the kick off of the supporting tour, I can only hope that the end result will be seeing Maria McKee live. No Mid-west dates listed as of yet - but a girl can hope.
For Tour Dates, album information, song clips and more, please visit Maria McKee's official site: MariaMcKee.com
The Press Release
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