MARY MARGARET O'HARA

Recording one album and a movie soundtrack over 20 years is sure-fire way to avoid public acclaim and welcome obscurity. With Mary Margaret O'Hara's Miss America, from 1988, it doesn't really matter. It's as individual of a singer/songwriter album as you're going to find. It's sparseness suggests folk and even abstracted country influences that fade in and out of the more atmospheric, jazzy, and arty ambiance that fans of Jane Siberry and Victoria Williams would affectionately recognize. O'Hara's voice is clear without being overly studied but just "off" enough to raise questions about her emotional stability. What's not at question is her intensity of feeling and her personal immersion within each song. O'Hara's frayed edges and unexpected flights in, out, and around the coloring lines were never universally welcomed but they are one reason why, for a strong sliver of those who hear her, she becomes an adored favorite.



Mary Margaret O'Hara -- Help Me Lift You Up (Miss America, 1988)

My favorite track of hers. Indelible. Conveys strength, despair, and salvation. Probably intended as much for herself as for the ostensible "you" of the song. Check out the little lost balloons of vocal sighs she releases throughout.

This Mortal Coil -- Help Me Lift You Up (Blood, 1991)

Wonderful cover, increasing the lushness and atmospheric qualities of the song. Featuring Caroline Crawley of Shellyann Orphan and Deirdre Rutkowski on vocals.