photo by Roni Hoffman; photo courtesy of Shawna Caspi

Album Review of Shawna Caspi: Hurricane Coming

This isn’t the first time I’ve reviewed Shawna Caspi. She’s one of my favorite folk-based artists, with a pure and precise – yet emotional – folk voice that makes every song seem like it’s telling a story. It takes a special artist to stand apart in this crowded genre, and Shawna does, indeed. (If you read my live review of Shawna’s WICN performance a few years ago, you already knew this.) Today, I’m writing a long-overdue review of Shawna’s most recent album, Hurricane Coming.

One of my favorite things about Hurricane Coming is that Shawna flexes her musical muscles a bit on this disc, with compelling and varied songwriting and, perhaps more importantly, a stretch of Shawna’s vocal range and style, with occasional growling grit and some emotional reaching-for-notes thrown in to complement Shawna’s sweet, smooth vocal power.

image courtesy of Shawna Caspi

That variance doesn’t start with song one, though. Shawna kicks things off with a strong steady strum and her comfortably smooth voice, engagingly dancing through a fast favorite in her inimitable, classic style – folky, uptempo songwriter rock with a rich music bed, “Wait Love.” That’s followed by the plaintive, pleading “Leaving Ain’t Easy,” a memorable track that features a sad guitar wail and is sure to be a favorite of some, particularly those wallowing in heartbreak.

Next song, “Ghost Town,” is the one in which Shawna seems the most like a stripped-down rocker. Yes, one of my favorites. It’s uptempo, driven by an energetic rhythm line, intermixed with some distorted country-style strumming and, well, those lyrics. The lyric that hits closest to home for me comes when Shawna croons, “I feel like the worst kind of person most of the time, a big city bully when I’m stuck in line with the postal clerk who types too slow, and I make a sign like I’ve gotta go.” And yet it’s a song about being welcomed and accepted, especially when we travel with open hearts, even when we’re outside our comfort zones.

photo by Roni Hoffman; photo courtesy of Shawna Caspi

“Echo” exudes the full emotions of a melancholy remembrance. “One More Chance,” too, showcases Shawna’s ability to turn a phrase well, with a steady rhythm keeping the song moving even as its guitar parts and vocal line seem to want to meander. And “Hope Lives” is softly powerful, painting vivid pictures of an abstract emotion.

Shawna picks up the tempo a little on “Lay Low Shadow,” with a hint of country twang, though it’s really more the instrumentation than her vocal that waxes country, even if it sometimes feels otherwise. But it’s a brief uptempo interlude, as the mellow, sweet, emotional “Running Start” provides a slower but commanding follow-up.

Penultimate track “Celebrate” is playful and uplifting, with guitar picking dancing playfully, emphasizing the light-hearted hopefulness of celebrating small victories.

Final track “Hold the Light” is more densely instrumented, delivering a satisfying ending to Hurricane Coming. Throughout, though it pulls no punches about life’s difficulties, this album is hopeful. And, of course, pleasant to listen to, well-suited to Shawna’s vocal talents.

Since the Release

Hurricane Coming was nominated for a 2023 Canadian Folk Music Award in the Contemporary Album of the Year category.

photo by Eric Thom; photo courtesy of Shawna Caspi

On the Road

Shawna has several upcoming gigs already scheduled in the U.S. and Canada this year. On July 21, you can catch her at the Two Way Street Coffee House in Downers Grove, IL, and on July 23, she’ll be performing a Knight Road House Concerts show in Ann Arbor, MI. August features several shows in Ontario plus a mid-month gig in Manitoba. Beyond that, there are New Jersey and Ontario shows booked later in the year, and a Fort Myers, FL performance already scheduled for April 2024. Be sure to check the “Gigs” page of Shawna’s website for dates, times, and venues.