Well great news the recording of the album is complete and ready to roll! I had a wonderful time at Rear Window Studios with multi-talented Adam Popowitz on Wednesday afternoon. He has an amazing little studio with windows facing the lush green woods and protected habitat. A great spot to feel inspired. I came with a metronome of sorts to help me get that rhythm down which was eluding me in cross town studios. I dusted of my old Roland key board and grabbed an r and b drum loop for Truth and Dares and then a crazy cheesy 90s dance beat at 145 beats a minute for Christmas Bells and practiced with this for several days and was indeed the answer to my troubles. I did Truth and Dares in 2 takes and am very happy with the energy and vocals of this live track, my guitar is almost smokin. Christmas Bells took a few more attempts but it too surfaced with the feel I was after. Neither of theses tunes have the cheesy drum tracks of course on the final mix but sure helped immensely in the delivery. I did Take Back the Power in free form without the click and it worked well too. This song was harder to program a drum loop as there is a tempo change midway but I get the groove with this one pretty easily. Adam was a joy to work with and got into the groove of the tunes. I look forward to working with him again. He reminds me of James Bowers a producer and friend and I worked with for many years and who also recorded some of the songs on this album from prior releases. Adam approaches songs in a similar manner and intensity and is also a multi-instrumentalist which is always any singer-songwriter’s dream ...the all in one package. Alice joined me in the studio for her ears and input on the creative process. She enjoyed the experience and was impressed with the session as well.

SO here is the lineup for the album:
Acoustically Inclined Norine Braun
1.Truth and Dares 3:31

2.Another Man's Fate 4:03

3.Ballad Of Magic Man 2:36

4.Take Back The Power 3:03

5. Christmas Bells 3:11

6. Love & Not Fear 4:21

7. Miles To Go 3:54

8. Dreams 2:49

9.There_s A Long, Long Trail A Winding 2:02

10. Little Girl With Golden Hair 4:07

11. Junkie 3;00

12.Be Brave 2:39

13. persephone 3:50

14. human kindness 3:00

15. Climb The Mountain 3:53

16. These Boots Are Made For Walkin 2:21


Truth and Dares is the lead track and here is the link to have a listen.
http://www3.telus.net/norinebraun/TruthandDares%201.mp3

The lyrics...

Truth and Dares
Never needed anyone
She always did it on her own
Life seemed always black and white
People get there on their own
Willful youth she sacrificed
Her glass filled half way
In the night, in the night
She plays truth and dares

She wakes up living on the street
She’s hungry can’t find enough to eat
She’s lonely, drunks lie at her feet

Downtown, she lives downtown

She looks at me with vacant eyes
I worry that she might recognize
My interest or my empty lies

Downtown, she lives downtown

Garbage in her livingroom
She threw her pearls to the swine
World’s my oyster anyways
You see I manifest divine
Mystic visions watching me
I get connected all the time
In the night, in the night
She knows truth and dares

I walk past her most everyday
She asks for change I give away
I give my penance for the day
Downtown she lives downtown

I stand corrected in front of truth
My mind unravels the naked ruse
The spirit moves me into use
Downtown she lives downtown

Never needed anyone
She always did it on her own
Life seemed always black and white
People get there on their own
Willful youth she sacrificed
Her glass filled half way
In the night, in the night
She knows truth and dares

©Norine Braun August 27, 2008



I am very happy with this collection of acoustic tunes and I think the album demonstrates my live performance well and how songs begin in their purest form...vocal and guitar. I hope you enjoy them too.

I called Craig Waddell from Gotham City Studios and we met for coffee on the drive Friday. He is the master of mastering and has mastered thousands of albums from indies like me to the big well known artists like Sarah McLachlan, Fear Factory, Grateful Dead, Loverboy, Delerium...
An honour to have such an incredibly talented mastering artist work on this recording.

Here is the definition of Mastering for you from musicbiz academy. Mastering is the audio step that comes just before manufacturing a CD. Once you have finished recording and mixing your songs, the tracks are shaped, sculpted, scooped, equalized, compressed, and finessed into sonic splendor (well, you hope) through the audio process known as mastering. Mastering is what gives depth, punch, clarity and volume to your tracks. It is part science, part craft, and part alchemy. . . just like songwriting, singing, performing and recording. Mastering is the crucial, critical, and final creative step in the process of making an audio recording,


The photos are of Adam at the helm in Rear Window studios, Alice at Rear Window and myself in the isoation booth at Rear Window, Craig Waddell is holding the brand new Acoustcally Inclined album in the brown envelope along with a panini to go from the drive. You can’t visit the drive without a panini.

The mastering will be done next week! Now for the design work....stay tuned!
Cheers,
Norine