Though we miss her dearly, Spectators proves Amelia Curran’s move to hometown St John’s seems to have spawned a happiness we’ve never seen before. Or, at least, so it seemed at her album release show last week. Spectators (her fourth album and apt follow-up to the Juno-winning Hunter, Hunter) stretches the boundaries of her signature sound with horns and a full band while not betraying why the faithful have gathered in the first place. Songs like “Years” and “Blackbird on Fire” show us the way of her future, but the old Amelia shows up with just her guitar on “In a Town (200 Days)”. If there was ever an heir apparent to Leonard Cohen’s legacy—graceful poetic lyricism balancing personal darkness with the joy of human existence—it’s Curran. And her legacy will not be denied.
This article appears in Nov 15-21, 2012.