Surfacing

Take Me Out of the Darkness
by: kriste matrisch

Anyone who doesn’t know the musical talents and ambition of Sarah McLachlan is missing out.   She provides the strong words and voice behind the songs, "Building a Mystery," "Sweet Surrender," and, as I’m sure we have all heard, "Adia."   (Frankly, "Adia" is overplayed, but it is still a beautiful song.)   Not only can she release a top-selling album, but she can also organize one of the top-selling summer tours, Lilith Fair.  With everything going for her, it’s no wonder that she is "surfacing."

Surfacing, her fifth album to-date, is romantic, the yearning and wishing for something beyond her reach.  As she sings in "Do What You Have to Do," this idea is clear in the lyrics "The yearning to be near you... I know I can’t be with you..."  Most of the songs to be focusing on a love that she’s wanting, needing, and yearning.  However, in "Witness," it seems to be questioning physical life versus the spiritual one: "Will we burn in Heaven as we do down here?"  She also sings the beautifully-written song, featuring her heavenly voice and piano, "Angel," which is also featured on the City of Angels soundtrack.

This album is a lot softer musically and lyrically than her previous ones. This isn’t bad for McLachlan; she still remains to be a talented lyricist, musician, and singer and will continue to be for a long time.26-Feb-2002 5:10 PM