Tara Maclean Passenger Lyrics

The name Tara MacLean might give cause to wonder if she is some sort of Sarah McLachlan parody. The truth is not too far off. They are both singer-songwriters-pianists from eastern Canada and MacLean enjoyed some left-of-the-limelight attention during the Lilith Fair. But beyond these immediate factoids, the comparisons to McLachlan end. Musically, Passenger has more in common with Jewel's albums. While Jewel turned her street-musician urchin experience into lyrical source material, MacLean turns to her survival of a rather unusual and not entirely pleasant upbringing by her Wiccan-turned-born-again-Christian parents for inspiration. Just as Jewel's lyrical triteness alienates the pragmatic, the New Age undercurrents in MacLean's album, charged with velvety-soft synths and the obligatory trip-hop rhythms, runs the same risk of leaving a syrupy taste. However, some people like their music with a cherry on top, even when the subject matter is bitter; for those, this album will satisfy. For a truly impressive collection in this arena, Kendall Payne's debut cannot be recommended enough. --Beth Massa