Professor and musician DeSombre debuts with album, Crooked Highways
When one reviews the published works of Elizabeth R. DeSombre, one may notice her prize-winning book, Domestic Sources of International Environmental Policy, her contribution to the Journal of Environmental Politics, or the two books she completed during her sabbatical from Wellesley, Flagging Standards and Global Environmental Institution. What you will not see on her extensive curriculum vitae is that she has not only a website (www.bethdesombre.com) but also her own MySpace page.
Professor DeSombre (Dee-SOM-bree), or, as most of her students call her, Beth, is an academically rigorous mentor by day and an up-and-coming folk musician by night. Her first album, Crooked Highways, which debuts on Monday, Dec. 10th at Punch’s Alley, should make a solid addition to her published body of work.
When asked how she managed to record an album between teaching classes she responded, “Basically, the two things I do are Wellesley and music. I don’t have time for much else.” Nevertheless, DeSombre’s characteristic dedication and attention to detail has paid off in this beautifully crafted first album.
The title Crooked Highways, DeSombre admits, has multiple meanings. “The first is the lyric it comes from ‘To navigate the crooked highways/Of this world below.’ I feel as if my writing focuses on people trying to deal with their everyday lives. Also, there’s a lot of traveling in my songs.” She aso added that the title alludes to the lyrics of Bob Dylan.
While DeSombre’s academic writings may seem to deal with issues on the macro level, involving large groups of people, DeSombre skillfully manages to record the experiences of average individuals in a way that ennobles them and reveals their dignity.
Although DeSombre’s experiences in Ohio, for example, dealth more with the challenges and rituals of collegiate life at Oberlin, DeSombre instead sets her sights on the lives of “townies,” a corn farmer and his child, in “For Winter.” From the woman in a restaurant on “2nd and Magnolia” to the flod victim of the “The Lucky Ones” to the trucker, DeSombre places herself in the life of another in a way that does not seem like cheesy Americana, but compassionate and sincere.
DeSombre agrees that it is the people who have made this album so special. “I have been lucky enough to work with my musical heroes in the making of this album,” she said.
On her MySpace page, DeSombre lists Dave Carter, Tracy Grammer, Richard Shindell, Crooked Still, and the Kennedys as her musical influences. In the box above, three of those musicians appear in her album information: Tracy Grammer, Pete Kennedy and Maura Kennedy.
DeSombre added that no only did they play a role in recording her songs, but they have also played a supportive role by advising DeSombre during the recording process.
To those unfamiliar with modern American folk music, DeSombre’s album serves as a great introduction to the genre. Her “biggest hit” as likes to call it, “No Toll in Canaan,” which has received som attention from the folk community, is characteristic of her style. Her youthful soprano lilts long intervals up and down to deceptively simply lyrics, a mandolin, and a finger picking guitar. “I tend to write wordy songs,” DeSombre confessed, “a lot of people tell me that they love my song and would want to record it, but the range is too wide for them.” The effortless harmonies of the chorus evoke rustic images of fall foliage road trips in the Berkshires, favorite sweaters and heirloom quilts.
The wandering nature of the music combined with the calm, pensive simplicity of her lyrics makes it great for rides in the car. DeSombre manages to make music that is delicate despite its tendency towards lots of syllables and familiar speech.
These types of songs, such as “No Toll in Canaan,” “Sarah’s Song,” “Between the White Lines,” “When I Leave This Place,” and “Song of Joy” are most common in her album, and are her strongest suit. The songs are stylistically different and tend to lack the proper contrast needed to bring out the song. Moreover, because of her emphasis on the virtuosity of her musicians, DeSombre’s voice is sometimes lost to the sounds of the instruments.
Even in the songs that achieve a delicate simplicity, her vocal lines too often stay dynamically unvarying. DeSombre explained that “Over time I learned how to make a better take for our recording. I think the next time I record will be a lot easier.”
In addition to her training as a political scientist, DeSombre has performed and written folk music for much of her life. After her parents exposed her to folk music as a child she came to Oberlin to participate in their local music scene. She emphatically states that she chose to go to graduate school in Boston specifically for its top-notch folk scene. She is often found listening in her office to WUMB, UMass’s folk radio station, before driving off to a gig in the Boston area. The songs on the album span the period of the past five years. “I’m really lucky to do both [teaching and performing] because it gives me a lot of opportunities to support myself and pursue music.”
Jessica Forde - Wellesley News (Dec 5, 2007)