PRESS RELEASE ABOUT THE GOOD HORSE From the fertile creativity of Portland singer/songwriter Paula Sinclair has grown The Good Horse, a collection of stunning songs with lyrics contributed by preeminent Oregon poets like William Stafford, Dorianne Laux and Joseph Millar, as well emerging poets Jarold Ramsey and Debbie West. The Good Horse evolved after Sinclair put a Langston Hughes poem to music and recorded it on her album Avalanche. After that, she met several writers and poets who encouraged her to develop The Good Horse project further. With more than half of the poetry/songs ready to record, a friend pointed out that Sinclair had naturally gravitated toward Oregon poets. From that observation forward her focus was clear. Passionate about the project, she self-funded the album.
Sinclair continues to be captured by the possibilities of integrating the work of Oregon poets with her own musical stylings -- so much so that she now has enough new material for another poetry album. She hopes that the new album will find grant funding to move forward. Until then, listeners have the good fortune to enjoy The Good Horse.
REVIEW IN FOLK & ACOUSTIC MUSIC EXCHANGE by Frank Gutch Jr. (May 22,2008) When Paula Sinclair fell into the dreaded black hole which visits most creative forces on occasion, she must have felt like her musical days were over. Blessed with a voice made for song, she still could have carved out a living, but she obviously is not one to just interpret or mouth other people's works. Anyone who knows or has heard her knows what a force she can be. So when she hit the brick wall, to her all seemed lost, if only for a short time.
Luckily, the brick wall hit back. One day, she found that she need not do everything herself. While consoling herself with poetry, the music magically began to flow, strangely enough, with the words and phrases. A few months later, she walked into a recording studio to lay down a bare bones version of what was to become The Good Horse. With only guitar and voice, she lay out song after song—a poet's words and her music creating a new whole.
Not long after, Sinclair headed into 8 Ball Studio and came out with an album capable of not only destroying the black hole, but putting her on a different and satisfying path—satisfying for herself and for those lucky enough to discover her music. Patently inspired by the works of William Stafford, Dorian Laux and others, she throws herself into an odd collaboration, taking their words and her music into a world laden with roots, both folk and country, and coming out the other end with a gem. This is dirt-under-your-fingernails folk and losing-your-mind country at its best, and the fact that Sinclair left lyrics to poets takes nothing away. The stories told and the emotions felt say it all with a refreshing honesty, and Sinclair's music—have I said refreshing and honest?
The package does not hurt, either. Rather than leave you with just the finished product, she includes that bare bones disc to give you insight into the creative process. And let me tell you, it's quite a jump from acoustic guitar and voice (a very nice disc and one I prefer in my more solemn moments) to the full session completed product. The music, straddling folk and country beautifully, comes alive as Uncle Tumbleweed lays itself out with its guitar/bass/pedal steel/keyboard/drums structure, fleshing out theme after theme. Putting Sinclair's voice on top is like putting butter on toast—a combination hard to beat.
Not many could put together a project of such depth with the touch Sinclair gives this. She has talent way beyond her voice. She knows things. Deep things. Dark things. Wonderful and maybe not so wonderful things. The fact remains, she knows. I can tell.
Paula Sinclair and Uncle Tumbleweed:The Good Horse
by Jennifer Hernandez of The Boise Weekly (March 19, 2008)
This two-disc CD had its genesis when a devastated Paula Sinclair attempted to get her creative juices flowing after she lost "the love of her life" ... her band, Bloodhoney. The result, The Good Horse, is a beautiful and unique artistic partnership between the Portland-based singer-songwriter and five award-winning Oregon poets. With an alt-country musical style and an earthy voice that sounds like a cross between Lucinda Williams and Joan Baez, Sinclair is one of the best artists you've probably never heard of. While trying to literally restore her voice, which gave out after Bloodhoney's demise, Sinclair discovered her gift for extracting the emotion from a well-written poem and setting its essence and imagery to music. The album is based solely on pieces from some of Oregon's most notable writers. The title song is a William Stafford poem about a circus horse, with music that emulates the feeling of a merry-go-round. "Uncle Tumbleweed" is a slow country rocker that captures the soul of Jarold Ramsey's verse about a wind-blown tumbleweed ... or is it a rambling relative? Works by Dorainne Laux, Joseph Miller and Debbie West also benefit from Sinclair's deft, melodic touch. Both CDs contain the same songs; disc one is raw solo acoustic, and disc two is fully backed and polished.
REVIEW OF THE GOOD HORSE The Sweet Gift of Words by Don Campbell The Oregonian - Oct 20, 2007 For poets and songwriters, there is great power in the word. Portland singer-songwriter Paula Sinclair (pictured), a transplanted Kentuckian, has released a project that will thrill poets and listeners alike.
Battling a severe case of writer's block, and at the urging of a close friend, Sinclair offers The Good Horse, a 10-song self-produced project using the potent verse of notable poets William Stafford, Dorianne Laux, Joseph Millar, Debbie West and Jarold Ramsey against her plaintive and simple original folk music.
Two things stand out. First, the genesis of the two-CD project. It's not unprecedented to set poetry to music, but Sinclair's organic approach let the poems feed and distinctly color her original music. Second, Sinclair lets her audience in on the song-creation process, offering one CD of her simple acoustic-guitar-and-voice renditions of the cuts, then expanding the scope on the second CD with full productions, rendered in the capable hands of producer Rob Stroup at his 8 Ball Studios.
Sinclair moves ably among folk songs, waltzes, gritty rockers and ballads. With big assists from, among others, drummer Reinhardt Melz; Paul Brainard on lap and pedal steel and trumpet; and multi-instrumentalist Chris Robley. Standouts include the antique tinge of "The Good Horse" (words by Stafford), the Spanish burn of "Love Pirates" (Miller) and the insistent grit of "Dust" (Laux).
Literate stuff, set to a sweet and melancholy sound bed. Quotes about The Good Horse Dear Paula Sinclair, I am brought to abundant tears by what you have done with my father's poems. Thank you. You see clear to the heart of the words, and your way with a phrase, a brief plateau of recognition, a knowing slide into the inevitable- these are humbling to me, Thank you for so purely being who you are with the words of my father.
The other songs are similarly wondrous. Thank you for this gift. Kim Stafford. It is rare when an album strikes me at first listen. Even rarer for me to go "HOLY SHIT this is good - this is something different," Your treatment of these poems - the musicality, the way each song/poem lives in its own environment is extraordinary. A real genius work.
Dream. Do. Dazzle. Lisa Lepine ProMOTION Queen Hey Paula, Thanks for the CD! It is an amazing piece of work. it obviously is a labor of love and represents a huge investment in your time and energy. It has really paid off!
I've been listening to The Good Horse today while working and want to tell you what a great CD it is. You've really kicked it up a notch. Wonderful. I like it all, but I think 'Sunday Radio' is one of the best country songs I've heard, period. Your voice is amazing.
