When I started blogging in 2017 one of my favourite discoveries was Caroline Spence. I have since reviewed both her albums Mint Condition and True North, and believe they are two of the best recent releases in the Americana genre. She’s a compassionate and poetic songwriter with a beautifully sweet voice.
So it was disheartening to hear about the difficulties she’s had with her record label and how she received zero royalties on 50 million streams. Earlier this year she released this new album ‘Heart Go Wild’ as an independent artist and said that choice to go it alone has ‘helped heal the damage done to my creativity and confidence’ after her experience with Rounder records.
Even though I knew labels and streaming could be awful for artists, I was pretty shocked to read about her struggles. While I don’t pretend to understand anything about how record labels work or the financial side to the music industry, what I do know is that Caroline Spence deserves to be paid and praised properly for her songs.
From the opening song on this album ‘Confront It’ you know this is going to be a powerfully brave collection of songs. This is an honest exploration of how it feels like to be ‘a stranger’ in your body and how avoidance becomes a coping strategy. The intimate production lets us know from the beginning this album won’t shy away from the difficult emotions.
Soft Animal is another ode to her hero the poet Mary Oliver, after the eponymous tribute on her last album. The production has a rockier sound than the opener and she wryly sings about how hard it is to ‘take a step against the grain / do it again / don’t forget to turn the camera on’. She concludes the only answer is to ‘go back to that same dog-eared page’ and do what Mary Oliver tells us: You only have to let the soft animal of your body/love what it loves. (By the way I’d love to hear a full album of artists writing in response to Mary Oliver’s poetry as she seems to speak to the world we’re living in right now.)
The album keeps the tempo up and sounds determined to head towards a new direction on Effortless. This could be about a career or a relationship – aiming for something ‘effortless’ is a good way to live your life. Struggle is overrated.
‘Why the Tree Loves the Ax’ is a poignant exploration of a doomed relationship, using a brilliant metaphor. The gorgeous love songs ‘Where the Time Goes’ and ‘The Sound of You’ both beautifully showcase the soft, fragility of her vocals.
What’s really refreshing about Caroline’s songwriting is how she uses light humour to tell truths, like on ‘Fun at Parties’. She’s saying what we’re all thinking: sometimes you ‘can’t smile and admit it’s ok.’ We’ve all been there and turning this honest reflection into such a catchy tune is just perfect.
Heart Like a Mirror is a dreamy co-write with Erin Rae, recognising the uncomfortable truth that sometimes loving someone means opening yourself up to being vulnerable and being seen. On ‘Leaving Now’ you wonder if she’s writing about her record label since the sentiment is clear: sometimes you just have to walk away to find who you are again.
The final song ‘Where the Light Gets Through’ is a quietly profound meditation on loss, ending with a shared moment of hope. Lori McKenna she referred to this song as an ‘offering and such a service’ and that sums up what Caroline’s music feels like (the whole interview between these two artists is wonderful).
Heart Go Wild is a powerful and poignant collection of songs from a voice who should be celebrated. For independent artists it’s vital that us fans buy physical media or bandcamp downloads to help make careers sustainable so please do what you can, using the links below:
BUY: https://carolinespencemusic.bandcamp.com/album/heart-go-wild-2
Highway Queens 
Leave a comment