Canadian singer-songwriter Tenille Townes pens her most introspective album yet with The Acrobat, where the stripped-back climate sees her playing all the instruments on songs she recorded, produced and mixed herself.
The lovely and heartfelt “Ordinary Love Song” starts the album with Townes’ eloquent voice and soft guitar that invites backing vocals. “The Acrobat” follows, and enlists Lori McKenna’s harmony voices to the calm and poetic duet.
Further into the first half, the quicker pace of “Enabling” builds into a powerful and relatable tale of relationships that really showcases Townes’ stunning pipes, while “We Could Use A Little More” is a wise and insightful moment of cozy guitar playing and charming singing. “Lonely Talking” finishes Side A with an animated and soaring bout of expressive singing and melodic guitar.
Side B leads with “She Plays The Piano,” where Townes plays the guitar meticulously and hits some pretty high notes, and “Grey Like Emmylou,” the most collaborative tune, welcomes I’m With Her’s harmony vocals thanks to Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz and Aoife O’Donovan, which suits the lush climate.
Moving towards the end, “What’s Meant With The Sky” strums a little harder as Townes’ storytelling draws us in to the sing-alongs, but it’s the gripping and vulnerable “In Love With The Sky” that stirs the soul and stands out on the back side. “If You’re Hearing This” exits and carries a conversational tone, where some wordless singing and playfulness gives it a spontaneous feel.
Townes released her first album when she was just 17, and has been all over the charts in her home country since. Though she’s best known for country music, the pop and folk traces across these songs proves she’s multi-dimensional and her sincerity and genuine spirit won’t go unnoticed.