Independent (label)
04 June 2021 (released)
27 August 2021
Like great legends or communal dances, the tradition of song in its purest sense is passed down through the gatherings of friends and family in the home. While some artists discover their talent on their own, plugging away at learning on an old instrument in the dusty room down the hall, the truly lucky ones have live music played around them day in, day out. The melodies get in their bones, their fingers are led over the keys or strings by a player with decades of experience, and the joy of performance is ingrained in the fibre of their being. A little ditty at the breakfast table, songs in the background while doing homework, and a big family jam at the end of the night.
The songs on Paula Standing's The More I Give are inspired by those “magical parties around the piano”. The Australian singer worked with several songwriters to craft a homey, Americana-style album brimming with the stories of her mother, husband, and sons. Banjo, mandolin, accordion, and a trove of other homestead instruments give this album a welcoming, back porch vibe.
The album's first third is a pleasantly meandering exploration of trips abroad and always finding the road back home. Accordion and mandolin are natural companions for an Italian ode on 'Hiding Out in Tuscany'. Banjo follows you on your journey through the plains on 'My Heart Goes With You'. A rolling fingerpicked guitar anchors 'Call It Home' about setting up roots wherever the wind guides you.
The accordion and banjo make another appearance on 'I'd Go Back Again'. Standing directly recalls her family's Saturday night sing-alongs. Warm memories of happy times with a country sway. One of the tucked-away gems is the darker 'Better Not to Know'. The fiddles hint at ominous circumstances playing off a bluesy acoustic guitar. Standing sings of things best left unspoken, stretching out on a frosty minor progression.
The More I Give is pure musical tradition. An Americana sensibility that feels like apple crumble with ice cream. Standing carries the musical passion of her family through the generations to share with her children and fellow music lovers in the great tradition of song.
