“The Sun Set Behind Me†is the debut CD by Canadian artist Vanessa C. Eidse. With this collection of original compositions, Eidse is provided the opportunity to display her many talents as both a singer/songwriter and musician. In addition to vocals, Eidse contributes acoustic guitar, ukulele, banjo, and harmonica to many of the CD’s eleven tracks.Within the first few bars of the CD’s opening track entitled “Just for a Change,†one is immediately struck by its infectious production and Eidse’s ability to strike a balance between the joy of freedom and burden of regret. Throughout this recording, Eidse displays a musical maturity beyond her 24 years; evoking a wisdom and wealth of emotion with a simple turn of a phrase.The CD’s production by Eidse and Jeremy Penner is clean and at times inspired in it’s fresh approach to an often predictable folk/pop genre. The recording’s sonic economy allows for Eidse’s voice to take centre stage and for her moving lyrics to be heard as well as felt. Eidse’s vocal style has been compared to that of other singer/songwriters such as Sarah Harmer and Shaun Colvin but it could be argued that the way in which she masterfully weaves melody around her words of honesty and heartbreak with assured voice and skillful musicianship is uniquely Vanessa Eidse.-Stephen J. Lang, May 2006
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