Tag Archives: Michelle Held

Single Review: Michelle Held – “Another Jane”

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photo by Robert Sherrow; photo courtesy of Michelle Held

Single Review of Michelle Held: “Another Jane”

You’ve read here once before about Michelle Held, one of Michigan’s most revered and talented folk singer-songwriters. Well, she has released another single, “Another Jane,” and it’s every bit as cool as you’d expect.

Those familiar with Held know her trademark vocal warble that’s unlike anyone else’s, adding texture and layers to her performance that are uniquely Held. Her songwriting, too, is deep and insightful. On this particular song, she digs into the persona of Jane Goodall, with Held’s vocal warmth matching the thoughtful kindness of the lyrics praising Goodall, mentioning her admirable personality traits and praiseworthy approach to the world, as well as touching upon key points of Goodall’s bio, coming to the now-obvious conclusion at the end of each verse that “we could use another Jane.”

cover image by Christopher Bennett; image courtesy of Michelle Held

Of course, whether or not someone steps into the void left behind by Jane Goodall, we can all glad we have one Michelle Held. Folk music fans, songwriting fans, or I suppose fans of chimpanzees should all check out this most recent single from one of Metro Detroit’s most talented singer-songwriters.

Looking Ahead

At the moment, according to the “Concerts” page of Michelle Held’s website, she only has one upcoming show booked, as a special guest on the October 18th stop of The 50th Anniversary of the Last Waltz Tour at the Token Lounge in Westland, MI. If you’re in the Detroit area, catch her there. And/or, of course, check her website periodically as new performances are added.

Single Review: Michelle Held – “The World Moves On”

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Michelle Held

photo by Robert Sherrow; photo courtesy of Michelle Held

Single Review of Michelle Held: “The World Moves On”

Michelle Held has been one of Metro Detroit’s most amazing folk singers for the last decade. (For a quick glimpse into Michelle’s background, I’d recommend this Detroit News “artist spotlight”.) I first reached out to her very early in the Blog‘s history to ask to be on her promo list whenever she next released music. She remembered, though I never dreamed it would be so long before her first-ever official release, the single “The World Moves On,” which dropped on November 17th. Needless to say, after more than a decade of performing and writing songs, Michelle’s first official release does not disappoint. Not that anyone would have thought it might.

Michelle Held – "The World Moves On"

cover art by Cara Dunning; image courtesy of Michelle Held

“The World Moves On” is a thoughtful contemporary folk song, ruminating deeply on the passage of time, the passing of heroes, the steady relentlessness of it all, and the personal emotions it evokes. Michelle’s strumming is steady, her vocals are warm with an edge that digs in and penetrates your consciousness. This song presents a few opportunities for Michelle to share her memorably one-of-a-kind warble, a vocal texture that helps secure a spot in the listener’s memory and sets her apart from other singer-songwriters in and beyond the folk genre.

The song’s arrangement is much grander than a typical folk song, sporting a mix replete with horns and strings that provide a soundscape that’s much more noticeable when you begin to specifically listen for it. When time has passed after my most recent listen to “The World Moves On,” my memory recalls a simple, heartfelt song; then, when I listen again, I rediscover how the horns offer a unique opening, the strings provide an early transition, and they all build throughout the song, adding to its weightiness and power. Michelle started with a powerful song, with just her voice and her guitar, then expanded upon that solid foundation to build a folk song with potentially a much broader appeal.

If you’ve not yet heard “The World Moves On,” you must give it a listen. Or two or three, and remember to listen for all the little things that combine to produce this widely accessible, powerful contemporary folk recording.

Michelle Held

photo by Stacie Huckeba; photo courtesy of Michelle Held

Liner Notes

The recording process for “The World Moves On” began when Michelle laid down vocal and guitar tracks during a recording session with Jim Rawlings in Berkley, MI. Then Savannah Buist and Katie Larson of The Accidentals added strings. [Side note: Several years ago, Blog contributor Joe Szilvagyi reviewed The Accidentals’ Parking Lot EP, then I covered an Accidentals concert in Cambridge, MA.] Later, C.J. Camerieri (Paul Simon, Bon Iver) contributed the horn arrangement for “The World Moves On.” The song was mixed by Eli Crews at Spillway Sound (Laurie Anderson, Tune-Yards) in upstate New York and mastered by Jeff Lipton and Maria Rice at Peerless Mastering in Boston. The song’s animated video was created by Cara Dunning.

Looking Ahead

Michelle’s live performance talent has been an open secret for more than a decade. There are videos online – that’s how I discovered her so many years ago, since I’ve never seen her live – but if you can catch her in person, it would be an evening well spent. If you’re in Michigan this winter and spring, you’re in luck. The “Tour” page of Michelle’s website lists a few upcoming shows. (Be sure to check back for more as they’re added.) If you’re quick, you can catch Michelle today, February 18th, at 2:00 PM at a Songwriters in the Round concert at the Ferndale Area District Library. She also currently has shows booked on Saturday, March 2nd in Ann Arbor, MI; Saturday, April 6th at the Michigan Music Video Awards in Marshall, MI; Wednesday, April 10th in Hamtramck, MI; and Sunday, April 14th in Livonia, MI.