It is Catherine MacLellan's voice that strikes
you first. Pure and haunting, it caresses
softly, insinuating itself into your heart, and
just won't let go. Then, the subtle strengths
of her deeply confessional, powerfully poetic
songs emerge, revealing hidden layers with
every listen. It is this combination that
makes Church Bell Blues, MacLellan's
sophomore album, a bona fide roots music
gem.
There is a haunting quality to Catherine MacLellan's voice. She's able to make the words hang, giving the songs a sense of anticipation and otherworldliness. The core of the songs reach from Americana, through country and into blues, bound together by the strength of the vocal delivery. She can make ordinary events sound like life altering moments. "Long Way Home" being a good example. It sort of starts off as a distance thing, then twists into a far more emotional song. "Church Bell Blues" is perfectly titled, it reaches out like a tolling bell, but tolling for what and why?
Interestingly, MacLellan's voice resembles fellow Canadian Anne Murray, whose biggest hit, Snowbird, was written by her dad, who also penned the worldwide smash, Put Your Hand In The Hand.
MacLellan told The Week: "I grew up watching Dad write songs in the living room with pen and paper or with a guitar on his lap.
"That was what I thought you were supposed to do, and eventually I started doing it.
"Before I could even play guitar, I wrote these awful songs about stupid things and I would sing melodies.''
Gene also helped wean his daughter away from "my early infatuation with bad 1980s pop". She said: "He'd buy me tapes of the Beatles, Eric Clapton, and The Band, saying: 'You have to listen to this.' I'm glad he did.
"I am really proud to be his daughter and to be able to follow a little in his footsteps.
"He was a fantastic songwriter and that's really cool.''
MacLellan closes Church Bell Blues with Long Time, a loving and deeply moving tribute to her father.
It's one of the stand-out tracks on an album which hints at greatness and is her first release on a well-established label, True North Records.