Heartbeats Accelerating

by

Kate & Anna McGarrigle

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Heartbeats Accelerating (or, considering the content of most of these songs, Heartbreaks Accelerating) dates to Kate and Anna McGarrigle's best years. Their writing draws from memories of youth, experiences as adults and parents, and collisions with mortality. Their harmonies are complex, buoyant or delicate, and backed with quirky arrangements, often featuring strings or liberal use of the accordion, not exactly a front line pop music instrument north of the Rio Grande. The best songs here are Heartbeats (more prominently recorded by Linda Ronstadt), Love Is (covered by Emmylou Harris), I Eat Dinner, and, my personal favorite since our last child just moved out of the house, I'm Losing You. I listen to this CD and the later Matapedia and think it is too bad the sisters have over the last years faded somewhat into the background in their performances, ceding space to their (to my mind) less interesting children.

First I must confess my bias for writer-performers. It takes a multi-talented team to pen both lyrics and music, in addition sing and play instruments. On "Heartbeats Accelerating." Kate and Anna wrote 7 of the 10 songs, provide lead and harmony vocals, and contribute accordion, keyboard and guitar work.

"Heartbeats Accelerating" is a deceptive title - the framework of this CD is loneliness. "I Eat Dinner" finds mother and daughter alone at the dinner table, "Mother Mother" is a haunting image of protectionism and fear, and loneliness and death are united in "St. Johns Hospital. Perhaps the McGarrigles should have concluded the CD on a more optimistic note with the hopeful anticipation of "Heartbeats Accelerating." Guaranteed that you will not be prepared for "Leave Me Alone" - no matter how many times I listen to this composition, it always leaves me tearful albeit blessed.

You also may find a warm and comforting place in the mature and tender world of the McGarrigle sisters.