Claire Lynch says she made Empty Pair of Shoes because she’s “obliged” to her fans, although after providing a career full of beautiful music, she truly does not owe us a thing. But since it’s been almost ten years since her last release, the Canadian-themed North By South, we are more than ready to receive this gift of the eight-song collection, out now on her own Thrill Hill Records.
She also wanted to make the album for her co-writers—of the 15 albums she has recorded, this is the first in which she has written or co-written every cut. Collaborating with Claire are songwriters Becky Buller, Jon Weisberger, Cathy Fink, Carl Jones, Pamela Brown Hayes, and Dawn Kenney.
Unlike most of her albums, Claire says, this one has no overarching theme, but is a more casual collection of songs she wanted to get out there. It may contain a bit more swing than usual, and so highlights what a perfect job she does interpreting songs that sound like they came from the swing era or the Great American Songbook.
Anyone who has seen her live can attest to Claire’s honesty and sense of humor, and some of these songs display a bit of that light-heartedness. One Mistake at a Time is a fun, jazzy standout track. Claire’s versatility is evident as she moves from Suffer the Children with its Tom T. Hall gospel vibe right into Sugar Blues, which finds her in a Bessie Smith state of mind. Blue Lights of Love finds an unlikely metaphor for infatuation in “cop car lights,” and uses the word “cerulean” in a gypsy jazz setting.
The title song is bittersweet and even more moving when you know it is dedicated to the late Eileen Carson Schatz and Footworks, her amazing and groundbreaking dance ensemble. “And if you’re looking back at a pair of empty shoes,” Claire sings, “you will know that I have finally danced away my blues.” The poignant cover image carries out the theme and is the centerpiece of the tasteful professional design of the CD package.
Claire’s picture-perfect singing is the star here, but is nicely framed by instrumental contributions from Mark Schatz, Jim Hurst, Missy Raines, Rob Ickes, Adam Schier, Darrin Schott, Joe Phillips, John Showman, Shane Cook, Jason Fowler, Don Rooke, Matthew Wingate, Chris Quinn, Bryan McDowell, and Nik Tjelios. Their playing, and the production and arrangements, are beautiful.
Besides her pure, crystal-clear vocal tone, Claire has amazing range, not just in terms of pitch but also emotion. Her voice can be achingly sweet, soft, and lilting, but also earthy, strong and supple, and even slightly pouting, when that is called for. She sings just as naturally as she speaks, her voice gliding effortlessly from a conspiratorial whisper to a plaintive wail, sometimes playfully dipping and soaring, always graceful and lithe. It might be slightly warmer on this release than on her previous recordings.
The only thing we might miss on this album is Claire’s unerring ear for other people’s material. From the Front Porch String Band’s extended jam on Wabash Cannonball in the early days, to 2013’s truly heartbreaking Dear Sister, she shows a knack for finding stellar songs and making them her own. As well-done as this album is, her many fans are looking forward to the next collection of carefully-selected songs from Claire and hope we don’t have to wait very long!
