In The Arms Of an Angel - Sarah McLaughlin

Ramit BaudeepRamit Baudeep Posts: 442
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Heard this on Dancing on Ice on Saturday but never knew what song it was until earlier today!

Lovely song


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVbkz_3lO3c

Comments

  • AneechikAneechik Posts: 20,208
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    I love her, it's a shame she isn't very well known outside North America. She writes her own songs too, although it's vaguely ironic that the song she's most well known in Europe for (SIlence) isn't actually one of hers.
  • grazmangrazman Posts: 607
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    Good voice and all but, other than Angel, Silence and I Will Remember You, hasnt had that many great songs. She's more a country blues singer i think and I much prefer her slow ballady stuff.
  • LibbyScottLibbyScott Posts: 787
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    I love her voice.
  • Scratchy7929Scratchy7929 Posts: 3,252
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    grazman wrote: »
    Good voice and all but, other than Angel, Silence and I Will Remember You, hasnt had that many great songs. She's more a country blues singer i think and I much prefer her slow ballady stuff.

    Not exactly - not very bluesy at all really.Country folk on a few tracks maybe, usually more of a Celtic / British Folk influence, earlier in her career anyway.She's from Nova Scotia which still retains alot of musical heritage from the Western part of the British Isles.She started out as a folk rock / electronica (new age / trance) type of cross-over artist in the vain of 'Silence' by Delerium which she sang on.
    She gradually become more of an Adult Alternative (Singer-songwriter) artist (generally on the softer side perhaps), especially 'Possession'.I regard FumblingnTowards Ecstasy a highlight of that genre / area of music which has a almost gothic / melancholic sound to it on alot of tracks.Her 'Surfacing' album featured alot of ballads she is mostly known for.Her 'Afterglow' album is again more melancholic & less pop influenced & was not very well received by the critics because of it's less accessible nature, perhaps.
    She then seemed to jump in another direction with a vocal jazz tinged / adult contemporary album Wintersong which is an OK album as for as Christmas albums go & still has a slight alternative sound on some tracks.Since then she's seemed to have stuck to a Vocal jazzish / adult contemporary direction which is not for my ears sadly.
  • Hav_mor91Hav_mor91 Posts: 17,183
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    grazman wrote: »
    Good voice and all but, other than Angel, Silence and I Will Remember You, hasnt had that many great songs. She's more a country blues singer i think and I much prefer her slow ballady stuff.

    I'd have to disagree her Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, and Surfacing albums are fantastic and full of great songs like Angel, Posession, Good enough, Building A Mystery, Witness. She is more Adult contemporary i suppose with a few folkish leanings but not country by any means.

    Sarah McLachlan is a fntastic singer songwriter and its a shame she has never found success outside of N.A i would reccomend her to most :)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,100
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    I used to love this song when it was in Pay It Forward, but then it was used in an animal shelter commercial of sad looking dogs and I turn the channel as soon as I hear it. It's on ALL THE TIME. I can't even look at Sarah McLaughlin's face anymore.
  • Scratchy7929Scratchy7929 Posts: 3,252
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    Hav_mor91 wrote: »
    She is more Adult contemporary i suppose with a few folkish leanings but not country by any means.

    Sarah McLachlan is a fntastic singer songwriter and its a shame she has never found success outside of N.A i would reccomend her to most :)

    Would agree that she is definately is an Adult Contemporary artist now.Surfacing could be regarded as Adult Contemporary as well.The albums each side of Surfacing (Fumbling Towards Ecstasy / Afterglow) I would say are Adult Alternative because of their more melancholic edginess.

    You can tell Dido has been influenced by Sarah alot.Although I think Dido 'blanded out' alot of her Mclachlan (early period) influences.Even Dido was grouped in with the Adult Alternative crowd at one stage, though, as well as trip-hop / downtempo which Mclachlan herself was associated - with Silence / Delerium perhaps & her Touch album as well (although not strictly part of the trip-hop scene).
  • Scratchy7929Scratchy7929 Posts: 3,252
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    Her best selling album in the UK is actually 'Afterglow' which I would regard one of her more alternative collection of songs.It has gone Gold in the UK, reaching a peak of No.33 in the charts.Overall 'Fumbling' is my favourite album (excellent review here http://www.allmusic.com/album/fumbling-towards-ecstasy-mw0000620848)
    Surfacing has gone Diamond in Canada & 8× Platinum in the US [I know alot of you like your sales stats on DS :p]
    Her 2010 Laws of Allusion album as sold relatively poorly which I haven't even listened through properjy even thouugh I regard myself a bit of a fan :o (If you hadn't already guessed :p).
  • Hav_mor91Hav_mor91 Posts: 17,183
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    Would agree that she is definately is an Adult Contemporary artist now.Surfacing could be regarded as Adult Contemporary as well.The albums each side of Surfacing (Fumbling Towards Ecstasy / Afterglow) I would say are Adult Alternative because of their more melancholic edginess.

    You can tell Dido has been influenced by Sarah alot.Although I think Dido 'blanded out' alot of her Mclachlan (early period) influences.Even Dido was grouped in with the Adult Alternative crowd at one stage, though, as well as trip-hop / downtempo which Mclachlan herself was associated - with Silence / Delerium perhaps & her Touch album as well (although not strictly part of the trip-hop scene).

    True Fumbling has a darker rockier edge to it whereas Afterglow is a little more Alternative whereas yes Surfacing with its many ballads leans more toward Adult Contemporary. And agree whilst i love Dido she has neither the lyrical depth nor variety Sarah Possesses compare a song like Vox to Angel.
  • grazmangrazman Posts: 607
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    Hav_mor91 wrote: »
    I'd have to disagree her Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, and Surfacing albums are fantastic and full of great songs like Angel, Posession, Good enough, Building A Mystery, Witness. She is more Adult contemporary i suppose with a few folkish leanings but not country by any means.

    Sarah McLachlan is a fntastic singer songwriter and its a shame she has never found success outside of N.A i would reccomend her to most :)

    Aye, you're right about the folky stuff, i was thinking of Bonnie Raitt for some reason. I've listened to all her albums and although there are a quite a number of good tunes, there is only 2-3 that are in the same league as Angel imo.
  • Hav_mor91Hav_mor91 Posts: 17,183
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    grazman wrote: »
    Aye, you're right about the folky stuff, i was thinking of Bonnie Raitt for some reason. I've listened to all her albums and although there are a quite a number of good tunes, there is only 2-3 that are in the same league as Angel imo.

    I'd definitely agree with you there Angel is her best by a long mile very few artists will write a song that good let alone top it :)
    I think Answer on her Afterglow album comes close though and Witness off Surfacing.
  • WelshNigeWelshNige Posts: 4,807
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    She is one of my favourite female artists with a fantastic voice.

    Saw her live in Cardiff a few years ago and her rendition of Angel was jaw-droppingly brilliant, a real goose bumps moment.
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