‘Tangerines’ by Clara Engel – A Singular Soundtrack by Decimononic

This is an atypical post for this series because this time we did not found the music; the music found us. Clara Engel contacted us because she though that her songs would suit ‘A Singular Sountradck’ and, after listening to her album ‘Ashes and Tangerines’ we could deny that she was absolutely right. As British poet Jeremy Reed said:

‘Clara Engel’s voice comes to me from that deepest of all places, imaginative space, from which she visually retrieves an inner landscape converted by breath into the rock equivalent of poetry. Rarely has a voice sounded so authoritative, so unapologetic in its disclosures, so sure of its direction in going home into song’.

I.- Who is Clara Engel?

Clara Engel is an independent Toronto-based artist with a great deal of talent. Her latest album, ‘Ashes and Tangerines’, was released on 6th December 2013 including 11 songs written and performed by her (see full credits below). We have chosen this ‘Tangerines’ video, that includes images by American filmmaker, actor and pioneer of underground cinema Jack Smith. The final version of this song is available here: ‘Tangerines’ on Bandcamp, lyrics below.

For further info:

• Clara Engel on Bandcamp.
• Clara Engel on Facebook.

II.- Lyrics

O hell is a rosy-coloured land
under the sea
and if we take a bad turn
you and me
we’ll go there together and plant tangerines
fiery fruit for the devil to eat

Come and dream with me
in a little row boat
we’ll sail until we sink

Rock-a-bye
in a bubble of light
I love all your fingers and toes
love the gristle and grind
of your bones

And if you can’t catch the gingerbread man
come with me
we’ll find him under the sugarplum moon
fast asleep
I’ll eat his fingers
you can devour his feet
no sugar, no honey, no nectar has tasted this sweet

Come and dream with me
in a little row boat
we’ll sail until we sink

Rock-a-bye
in a bubble of light
I love all your fingers and toes
love the gristle and grind
of your bones

O hell is a rosy-coloured land under the sea

III.- Album credits

Clara Engel: Voice, Guitar | Paul Kolinski: Drums, Piano | Nicolas Buligan: Horn | Zoe Nicole Guigueno: Bass | James Anderson: Bass | Will Dirickx-Jones: Guitar | Tomas Daly Chandler: Voice, Clarinet, Saxophone | Choir: Maria Kasstan, Myke Mazzei, David Gluck, Joel Dalton | Recorded by James Anderson at 6 Nassau, Toronto | Mixed by Mitchell Girio, at Slaughterhouse 754, Toronto.