There She Goes

Another spate of mp3 downloads. Realised that most musicians I like are male.

There must be some women singers I like, I thought. Scrolled through my library, it became obvious who my fave woman musician is.

Sarah McLachlan.

Actually, I like only her two major albums. But what beauties those are. Spellbinding is the only word I can think of to describe Sarah's voice. Listen to it wrap around your ears. You'll forget the world.

Here are my top 10 Sarah McLachlan songs

10 Blackbird (Afterglow live)
If you want to cover the Beatles, you better match their high standards. Wisely, she picks this gentle ditty from The White Album. Stellar guitars.

9 Possession (Fumbling Towards Ecstasy)
Lead-off track of an extraordinarily beautiful album, but the treasure lies at the end, as she tucks a piano-only version as the hidden track. A tale of a stalker? Feel the eerie power as she sings amid the gorgeous piano: "I will be the one to hold you down, kiss you so hard."

8 Adia (Surfacing)
'Cause we are born innocent.....

7 Do What You Have To Do (Surfacing)
If just for how she sings the opening phrase: "What ravages of spirit conjured this temptuous rage?/Created you a monster, broken by the rule of love?"

6 Elsewhere (Fumbling Towards Ecstasy)
"I believe this is heaven to no one else but me/And I'll defend it as long as I can be left here to linger in silence/If I choose to, would you try to understand?" Yes I do.

5 Fear (Fumbling Towards Ecstasy)
Bone-chilling vocal acrobatics.

4. Hold On (Fumbling Towards Ecstasy)
Only she can make a song about an impending death seem so warm, tender and devoid of schmaltz.

3. Good Enough (Fumbling Towards Ecstasy)
The perfectly-emoted soft-rock song for a woman to sing.

2. Wait (Fumbling Towards Ecstasy)
Overlooked gem. A weird beat over a simple piano riff. Then her ethereal voice drifts in, singing about...whatever she's singing. Obtuse, yet so haunting like you know every word she says.

1. Angel (Surfacing)
The most beautiful song ever. Pure at heart, crystalline voice, gorgeous musical accompaniment. Just incredibly moving. During a strange drinking session back in my uni days, with some of my closer female friends around, I said if some woman ever sings this song for me, I would fall immediately for her, no questions asked. None of those friends did =p But the offer still stands. Serious.

Ultraviolet (Light My Way)

Something to make us a little less cynical.



So in the semi-finals....



And in the final....





Now if you had noticed the small girl in the above video, here's her performance. Warning to females: it WILL reduce you into blabbering "SO CUTE!" for hours.