Album Review: Tekla Waterfield & Jeff Fielder, ‘Mother Mind’
On their new album, Seattle-based singer and songwriter Tekla Waterfield and her guitarist husband Jeff Fielder deliver a candid reflection on the depths of depression wrought by post-partum depression and the heights of hope glimpsed in the moments and days of deepest darkness. Waterfield’s vibrant vocals illuminate her lyrics in these songs on Mother Mind.
The album opens with Waterfield’s pure and ethereal a cappella on “I Am Alive,” a gently defiant affirmation of her presence as she embraces the happiness and sadness in her life. Placed in a gospel setting, the song resonates powerfully as a celebration of life. The minor chord “Something My Own” shimmers with a swampy New Orleans blues as Waterfield cries for some space and time in the midst of a busy, crowded world, while the slow-burning soul ballad “I See You Mama” evokes Waterfield’s unfolding love for her own mother and is an ode of gratitude to her. The ringing chamber rock of “Lately” mimics the singer’s growing feelings of desolation and emptiness and her echoing plea “don’t give up on me.” The spacious “A Million Times” blends twinkling piano and glittering fiddle and guitar with swelling harmony choral vocals, producing an aching weeper just right for waltzing across the dance floor. “Keep It Upbeat” does just that with its rocking rhythms and its Motown soul choruses, while the reverberating blues of “Sad” mimics the downward spirals of depression with its haunting psychedelic guitar riffs on the instrumental bridge; Waterfield’s vocal here are reminiscent of Jackie DeShannon’s early songs. The album closes with “Will Remember You,” a lullaby which opens with Waterfield and her daughter singing, and the song’s sparseness blossoms into a bright chorus. Its lilting celebration of life circles back to “I Am Alive,” offering an extension of the hope and love with which the album opens.
Mother Mind showcases Tekla Waterfield’s canny ability to transform daily life and capture it in lyrics and music that evoke the ache, despair, hope, and love of life lived during and beyond post-partum depression.
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Mother Mind is available HERE.
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