Listening to Judy Collins’s new album brought me back to the days of patchouli oil, strawberry incense, and tie-dye T-shirts. She was an icon of the folk music scene of the 1970s with hits like “Both Sides Now” and “Send in the Clowns.” Now, at 82, she has just released Spellbound, her 28th studio album. I liked the album. Her voice still has the wonderful clarity it had 60 years ago. Most songs are ballads and many have a nostalgic feel to them. The production is uncluttered with piano, guitar, and at times an orchestra backing Collins’s stellar voice. Her love of nature and the outdoors shines through in the lyrics of a number of songs. She also writes about her early days in Greenwich Village and her love of art and painting. Favourite songs include “When I Was a Girl in Colorado” and “Grand Canyon.” Both sing the praises of mountain streams, waterfalls and blue skies. Spellbound has a gentle sweetness to it—maybe a bit too sweet for some. But it’s a musical treat from a woman who continues to cast her musical spell even after 80 years.
-Gerald Graham
4/5
