Cécile McLorin Salvant, Oh Snap

Cécile McLorin Salvant’s latest release Oh Snap begins with a wish to be a river frogs jump in, confesses to being a volcano, takes us over lava glow, leaves us reshaped into obsidian, and circles back, cleansed, to a sort of realization of the original wish.  

The sequence of the songs is rhapsodic and the work as a whole further establishes Salvant as a visionary capable of elevating listeners to new heights. The lyrics acknowledge human faults and errors and the need to work on relationships and communicating, yet through this humility, Salvant’s soulfulness shines bright. Her expressive voice is capable of telling a story through its varying tones alone, bringing emotional resonance and medicine to the listener. Salvant is distinctive and entirely herself while evoking such artists as Betty Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Joni Mitchell, and Tank and the Bangas.

 

Several of the songs on Oh Snap have an improvisational feel, matching the ebbs and flows of the vocal-instrumentations, storytelling, and rhythmic pacing. While Cécile McLorin Salvant is often labeled a jazz singer, Oh Snap shows the range of her capabilities and tastes with a unique blending of genres, including rock, folk, singer-songwriter, indie, dance, techno/house, jazz, musical, and gospel. 

 

At times the instruments sound perfectly harmonious with the vocals and create a peak-music listening experience such as in the song, "Take this stone (feat. June McDoom & Kate Davis)." The poetry of the lyrics, describing meeting a beloved on the edge of a volcano, the melody and crisp guitar playing, subtle percussion, honeyed vocals, and enchanting chorus sends shivers through my limbs. The synergy of the three singers is exquisite: each vocalist has a solo part, then the voices braid together to echo the stone sharing sentiment of this piece. I also like how this song recognizes stones as sentient.

The title song “Oh Snap” feels addressed to a beloved and/or to God, and explores a changing and evolving presence of love. The song “Second Guessing” feels like it was written lovingly to build up a partner or friend the singer admires. “Expanse” dreams of the ability to savor life’s simple joys of freedom and nature in an unconfined manner; it’s noteworthy how Salvant is wishing for a barefooted walk on the beach rather than money or material things. “Eureka” presents a kind of dream board manifesto culminating in loving kindness. “Thank you” is a touching expression of gratitude addressed to Salvant's support mother and sister. The song “Nun” also has the feel of a grateful ode to a real person and takes us to a place of reverence and transcendence accompanied by shimmering organ piano. 

 

Oh Snap candidly expresses the struggles and aches that come with striving to be a better person, ultimately bringing transformations to the beyond. Cécile McLorin Salvant’s new album does the brave work of showing up for and giving attention to all life’s ups and downs, including pleasant moments of calm beauty and love, eruptions of the psyche, motion, hallucinogenic vividness, space for authenticity, respect for community and others, and freedom to break away from any mold or tradition, creating something fresh and new out of flames and ashes.