Single-name country music singer Sylvia (a.k.a. Sylvia Hutton) has spent the better part of her career in said genre, from the 1980s on. This week though, Hutton took a step into a different realm, that of family music, with the release of her new album, Nature Child: A Dreamer’s Journey. Released Friday through Red Pony Records, the 12-song record makes for an interesting debut family outing in part because of its musical arrangements, which will be discussed shortly. The record’s lyrical content pairs with the noted musical content to add to the album’s interest. It will be discussed a little later. The album’s production rounds out the most important of the album’s elements. It will be discussed later, too. Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of the album’s presentation. All things considered, they make Nature Child: A Dreamer’s Journey an interesting first family music outing from Hutton.
Nature Child: A Dreamer’s Journey is an interesting debut family music album from country music artist Sylvia Hutton. Its interest comes in part from its featured musical arrangements. The arrangements blend Hutton’s more familiar country music leanings with an even lighter, sort of neo-Renaissance style sound a la Celtic Woman to make for a unique musical presentation. Early in the record’s 46-minute run, audiences get a nice touch of country and bluegrass in ‘Every Time A Train Goes By.’ On the other end of the spectrum, ‘Nature Child,’ which serves as the album’s midpoint, presents Sylvia moving more in the noted Celtic Woman style direction what with her simple vocals alongside the subtle string arrangement and acoustic guitar line. Hutton actually goes full Celtic in that song’s follow-up, ‘Dancing Over An Emerald Isle,’ switching things up even more.’ Even later in the record’s run, audiences get a gentle mix of Sylvia’s country and Celtic leanings in one in the form of ‘Home.’ The arrangement in this song balances the two sides to make this composition its own unique work, showing even more why the album’s musical arrangements are important to the record’s presentation. When it and the other songs examined here are considered along with the rest of the album’s arrangements, the whole makes clear, the place that the record’s musical arrangements have in its bigger presentation.
While the musical arrangements featured in Sylvia’s new album clearly play a pivotal part to the album’s presentation, they are just a part of what makes the album worth hearing. The lyrical content that accompanies the album’s musical arrangements plays its own important part to the whole. The lyrical content featured throughout Sylvia’s new album delivers themes of self confidence, family, friends, and creativity. The theme of creativity comes early in the album’s run in the form of the simply titled song, ‘Imagination.’ Sylvia sings in this neo-folk style composition about children who use his imagination to create all kinds of pictures in their mind. The young boy of whom Sylvia sings sees rainbows everywhere because of his imagination. The young girl has all of her own fun visions. Sylvia comes right out in the song’s chorus and encourages her young listeners to use their imaginations and be like the children in her song.
‘My Best Friend’ openly takes on the topic of friendship. From keeping secrets, to being able to get along even despite having different opinions on things, and more, the song celebrates those people who are by our sides through everything. Everybody has a best friend, that one person who has been there through thick and thin. To that end, it will make this theme appeal even to grown-ups.
On yet another note, ‘(Hey, Hey, Hey) It’s A New Day’ takes audiences in yet another direction. In the case of this song, the title is just as straight forward. The song reminds listeners that in fact, each day is a new day and to make the most of each new day. It is a wonderful message that will resonate just as much with adults as it will with children. It is just one more example of the role that the album’s lyrics play in its presentation. When this lyrical theme and the others examined here are considered along with the themes in the rest of the record’s lyrical content, the whole here makes clear the overall importance of the album’s lyrical content. When the lyrical content and musical content exhibited here are considered together, they give audiences all the more reason to hear the album. The collective is still just part of what makes the album worth hearing. The album’s production rounds out its most important items.
The production that went into Sylvia’s new album is important to examine because of the effect it has on the album’s general effect. This is most well exemplified through the fact that so many of the songs featured in this record sound like they were taken right from some stage musical. There is a certain quality that is difficult to put into words that makes the songs sound just like that. This has to be attributed to the album’s production. Between the effect here and that in the rest of the songs, the whole of the production has a strong positive impact on the album’s general effect. Keeping that in mind along with the impact of the album’s content, the whole makes the album in whole a family music record worth hearing at least once.
Sylvia Hutton’s debut family music album, Nature Child: A Dreamer’s Journey is an interesting addition to this year’s field of new family music albums. That is due in part to its featured musical arrangements. The arrangements blend Hutton’s country leanings with a more Celtic (and even stage musical) influence to give the album a unique overall musical presentation. The album’s lyrical content makes for its own interest. That is because it is accessible to listeners of all ages. The record’s production rounds out the album’s most important items. That is because of the impact that it has on the album’s general effect. Each item examined is important in its own way to the whole of the album’s presentation. All things considered, they make Nature Child: A Dreamer’s Journey an interesting family music debut for Hutton.
Nature Child: A Dreamer’s Journey is available now through Red Pony Records. More information on the album is available along with all of Hutton’s latest news at:
Website: https://sylviamusic.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sylviacountrymusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/syhutton
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