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Road to Ohio
by Sarah Hart
Centricity
If you think you know Sarah Hart, think again. Her latest release, the lush, slow-burning, Appalachian-laced Road to Ohio nestles Sarah comfortably between Alison Krauss and Sheryl Crow, and lends an authenticity to the music that lifts it far, far above the ordinary.
Road to Ohio, is a stunning twelve-song collection of story songs birthed from the whispery voiced singer/songwriter's personal experience and vivid imagination. Where those two sources mix and mingle may be anybody’s guess, but the result is a double shot of world-class Americana with a bluegrass chaser. Ummmm, tasty!
Lyrically, Road to Ohio represents a marked departure for an artist better known for exploring ethereal themes of faith than earthy issues of dirt roads and corn fields. Still, Sarah manages to inject a healthy dose of religious imagery into her songs. “Jenny,” the lead off track is a classic case in point. “Say, Jenny, clearly you’ve got an apple you want bitten,” she chides. “Who-ee, Jenny, you’re snaking up the wrong tree.” Chock full of sassy attitude with a mischievous wink, this eternal tale of the temptress and the virtuous woman turns into a full fledged cat fight with the virtuous woman proving she can get down and dirty when she needs to.
Sweetly strummed acoustic guitars, tinkling mandolin, lap steel, fiddle and upright bass mix beautifully with Sarah’s tender and fragile vocals. Guest instrumentalist like the incomparable Ben Shive, Steve Mason, and Andy Osenga add to the overall quality of the project. But as gorgeous as the music is, it is still the insightful, introspective lyrics that make Road to Ohio such a treat.
Best cuts include the melancholy “Pretty Girls,” the saucy “Blanket in a Cornfield,” and the poignant “Dear Papa.”
- Buddy Hollywood
Utilizing talent from the Jars of Clay camp, Sarah Hart shows a wondrous knack for blending country, folk and melodic pop flavors on a disc that will delight fans of Shawn Colvin or Alison Krauss. A thoughtful songwriter, Hart can sound tough, as on the mandolin-fueled hootenanny "Jenny": "Take your big black eye and your girly tears / Cause Jenny I told you that you're never gonna take my boy from me." The luxurious title track finds "the moon dropping diamonds into the new snow," an apt metaphor for an album brimming with spirit-infused treasure. - Lou Corlozo, Chicago Tribune/CC
Discography
Road To Ohio - Released May 2008 (12 songs, available on iTunes)
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Bio
The music and message of Sarah Hart both welcome and delight listeners from every age and background. As a writer, she begins by sharing her own experiences, expanding her life to include ours; as a performer she relates her words and heart to us with deep sincerity. Her music is simultaneously life affirming and thought provoking, a rare and welcome combination.
Her travels as a singer/songwriter have taken her throughout the United States as well as parts of Europe and Asia. Since 1993, she has been performing at numerous venues including coffeehouses, churches, and festivals, as well as such places as The Ryman Auditorium and The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, TN, The Bitter End in New York, NY, and the National Basilica in Baltimore, MD.
Sarah’s true passion is songwriting. Her songs have been recorded by numerous artists and have appeared on such television shows as “Joan of Arcadia” and “Strong Medicine”. She has written, toured and worked with a wide array of producers, artists and writers. She also works closely with the Tom Tichener Children’s Theater in Nashville, TN as a songwriter and voiceover artist.
Sarah’s newest work, “Road To Ohio”, is her first purely folk/bluegrass venture, with songs born of the music and culture she grew up with in Southeastern Ohio. It is available through Centricity Music.
Sarah makes her home near Nashville, Tennessee.
Sarah Hart endorses Breedlove Guitars.
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