Search - Great Big Sea :: Safe Upon the Shore

Great Big Sea evolves but keeps one foot in the water

A. Gammill | West Point, MS United States | 07/17/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"For longtime fans, SAFE UPON THE SHORE is a celebration of sorts. It marks the 10th studio album for the Newfoundland-based folk/pop outfit. Those same fans will also readily note how the band has evolved during their 17 years together. Aside from 2005's all-traditional The Hard & The Easy, the band has been gradually moving toward a more pop-oriented sound for years. More often than not, the change suits them. Singers Alan Doyle and Sean McCann have always been front-and-center; with Doyle seemingly more comfortable mixing the traditional folk songs of his beloved homeland with more modern instrumentation.



SAFE UPON THE SHORE follows in the path of the band's previous release, Fortune's Favour, by combining up-tempo pop with their own self-penned traditional-sounding tunes. Great Big Sea is a tireless touring band, and it's easy to interpret several of the tracks as semi-autobiographical longings for home. "Long Life (Where Did You Go)" and "Nothing But a Song" are not necessarily the group's best non-traditional songs (which include past gems like "Sea of No Cares," "When I'm Up," and "Consequence Free"), but are nonetheless catchy and straightforward ponderings of what life on the road can do to a family man. Things get back to basics with "Yankee Sailor," a lovely and sad song with one of Alan Doyle's better choruses: "You say America is beautiful/And I sure hope you're right/If I could see you across the water/I'd say America is beautiful tonight."



Things stall momentarily with Sean McCann's well-intentioned but cliched "Good People," an earnest folk song that really has nothing new to say. Doyle return to the homesick theme with "Dear Home Town", which presents the puzzling notion that the pride of St. John's has let its hometown down by "selling my soul for a song." The sometimes-neglected Bob Hallett offers up the tradtional-styled "Over the Hill," while Russell Crowe serves as co-writer of "Hit the Ground and Run," a revved-up comic tale of a shotgun wedding about to go wrong.



Next up, McCann sings the title track a capella. It's a beautiful and heartbreaking tale of the sea as a harsh mistress, and a wish that becomes a curse. I don't think it's a stretch to call "Safe Upon the Shore" (the song, I mean) among GBS's best compositions. It's the kind of song that the band has perfected after years of singing traditional songs handed down through the ages.



It seems strange to find cover songs on a Great Big Sea album, but there are two here. "Gallows Pole" is a Led Zeppelin tune that was actually offered as a download on the GBS website when FORTUNE'S FAVOUR was released. "Have a Cuppa Tea" is an irresistable take on the Kinks' song. Another song, "Wandering Ways", was also offered previously as a download. A sleepy ballad, "Follow Me Back," and two somewhat standard Doyle tracks round out the disc.



If you've made it thru all that dissection of the track list, it's safe to assume you're a fan of the group. SAFE UPON THE SHORE doesn't necessarily break any new ground, but it's another solid collection of songs from some very talented musicians. Nothing on here made me want to press the SKIP button during the 46-minute runtime. And I'd rank 2 songs--Yankee Sailor and Safe Upon the Shore--among the band's best work. If you're a fan and enjoyed FORTUNE'S FAVOUR, chances are you will like this one. If you happen to be new to Great Big Sea, I'd highly recommend picking up what I consider two essential releases: Up and Sea of No Cares."

Great big songs...feelings....emotions

David J. Stash | MCKEESPORT, PA USA | 07/25/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"GBS continues to grow in every way...the lyrics continue to expand on love, life, and loss while embracing the majesty of existence. To see the band live (can't wait for the Pittsburgh and Wolf Trap shows) is the definitive party-concert experience, yet they have the innate ability to put that vitality on the shiny disc, Each song herein is a gem, even the covers which centralize the theme of being safe upon life's or love's shore. Listen, too, to the sequencing of the songs...this disc is not meant for shuffle or random play. There is a plot-line to this disc which moves from a kind of revelation to a salvation with the simplistic song about good people who punctuate our lives as a midway bridge. These thoughts of mine are probably too much for the simple pleasures of this collection...so, simply, buy it and enjoy it. I really really feel bad for people who haven't sailed so far with the great big sea...I regularly get thank you notes from folks I give their discs to as gifts....I guess it keeps on giving.............."

Always well worth the investment

Pamela R. Frank | Toronto ON Canada | 07/25/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"You can't go wrong with a Great Big Sea album. The music and lyrics are great - these boys are genuinely talented and so much fun to see in concert. This one's a mix of the usual excellent GBS fare but with a few divergent styles thrown in - it's different, but it works! I've loved every CD from GBS but especially liked: Fortune's Favour, Up, Something Beautiful and Sea of No Cares"