Sarah Jane Scouten: Wanderlust

By Kerry Doole

Sarah Jane Scouten - Wanderlust ( LightOrgan Record): This folk/country singer/songwriter will release a fourth studio album, Turned To Gold, on Sept. 15, preceded by this new single and video.

The song is a portrait of a restless soul that Scoten admits has personal resonance. In a label press release, she explains "leaving my family to follow the compulsive drive to write songs and sing them. Being a musician can be detrimental to your mental and physical health, let alone your relationships to loved ones and even yourself. These things made my life beautiful but not without sorrow and regret."

Scouten adds "I wrote this song like an American old-time ballad–that’s why it has that modal, major/minor feel. There were originally 9 verses." The refrain goes "Nothing comes from nothing and nothing will/But nothing works for the hurt to kill," and she notes "That made sense to me. That was kind of the thesis statement of the song. You reap what you sow, for better or worse."

The low-key track is gently affecting, thanks to her pure voice, one with traces of melancholy and her poetic turns of phrase. Reference points for her sound could include Suzie Ungerleider and Kathleen Edwards.

Scouten has been nominated for four Canadian Folk Music Awards, a Western Canadian Music Award and an International Folk Music Award. She has performed at many major festivals and has opened for Corb Lund, William Prince, Ron Sexsmith, The Sadies, and more.

She has three full-length albums under her belt, with debut release The Cape coming out in 2014, followed by 2017's When The Bloom Falls From The Rose and in 2019's Confessions. She considered abandoning a music career after that, but we're pleased this serious talented artist is continuing.

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Publicity: Paul Brooks, Take Aim Media