Find yourself a date, a bottle of wine and a place to dance. And Now We Sing, the latest release from the Ontario-based group Olenka and the Autumn Lovers is the perfect soundtrack for a night in.
Guitar driven waltzes (“Berlin”), gypsy romps (“Sparrow”) and just a touch of western twang (“East End”) make for an album that moves deftly through sub-genres, lingering in each just long enough to get a dance in.
Despite all the changes in overall feel, the tracks are tied together by Olenka’s distinctive vocals. Olenka has the voice of opera-gone-gypsy folkster. It’s dynamic, tremulous and full of emotion.
Coupled with a wide array of instrumentation – piano and strings to electric guitar and plucked violin — Sing manages to create cohesiveness without allowing the sound to go stale.
Starting with staccato “Odessa,” And Now We Sing moves slowly downwards, starting with lots of energy but ending on a mellow note. By the time you get to the end of the album, it’ll be time to curl up with a warm blanket (or body) and a glass of wine.