BAEBLE SESSIONS: Basia Bulat at The Guest Apartment

"What I like most about my favorite bands", explains Basia Bulat, "There is a lot of room for me...they take my mind moving, give me a place to roam around. I'm hoping that's what my record does." The record the golden-voiced, Canadian songwriter is referring to is Heart Of My Own; her second album, and most full-bodied work to date. On it, Bulat makes dramatic use of horns, strings, and intense rhythmic cadences, though those elements pale in comparison to the vocal force she propels into the ether. As our recent review of the album puts it, "Bulat doesn't need anything beyond an acoustic guitar and a tambourine" to impress. Actually, for this session in the Guest Apartment, she didn't even need the tambourine.

Preparing a trio of songs for her visit to Baeble, Bulat clutches both an autoharp ("Heart of My Own", "Run") and a borrowed, acoustic guitar ("Go On") during the performance. Talk about the "flower-child folk artist with a distinct voice and preoccupation with love and nature", Joe P, our trusty editor, was referring to. Here Bulat showcases her rich and expressive voice, evoking the ghosts of musical titans as she goes along. Joni Mitchell, Odetta, Janis Joplin...I would imagine Bulat counts them all as inspirations, creating a swell that while tracing specific narratives, encourages the listener to glide wherever these big, bold, and beautiful songs take them. Guess that puts Bulat in the company of her favorite bands. - David Pitz