Raven Shields – Matches

Until now, I’ve admired the work of Raven Shields from afar — she is a vocal force behind Dear Sister, the perfect supplement to Graham Nicholas. But it is a crime to relegate her, contextualize her based on her work with others. She is a forceful songwriter, a voice at once western and soulful — sometimes contained, sometimes roaring with a Neil Young tempo, Canadian through and through. There is a stark contrast between the solitude of “Old Pine” and the urgent rise and fall of “Take Me Home,” but neither is out of place. The same vast unity finds its way into the lush and wild imagery of “Badlands,” crisscrossing the country’s terrain. Canada is a diverse tapestry. Raven Shields is sewing the pieces together, a defining voice of Canadiana.