Tara MacLean’s ‘Live in My Hometown’ is an emotional exploration of nostalgia and connection, woven with threads of Folk, songwriter Pop and sequins. Recorded live at the Confederation of the Arts Centre, Prince Edward Island, Canada, this 5 track EP is also released as a live audio-visual playlist on YouTube.
Intimate in nature, despite being performed to a packed hometown crowd, ‘Live in My Hometown’ platforms MacLean as the consummate slick performer her Canadian and North American fans know well, with a seldom matched rawness and authenticity which has been the staple of her successful 25+ years in the music business.
Opening track ‘Beneath the Path of Crows’ - typical of Tara’s feisty pint-sized persona, is a protest song highlighting the plight of First Nation Indigenous people of Canada from a settler perspective. Side note; MacLean’s activism earned her 2 weeks in Canadian jail in the late 1990’s as she protested illegal logging on Indigenous land. As the forthright opening line “We we’re born on stolen land, but we still don’t understand” bellows out, MacLean’s intensity lays down a marker and envelops you right from the off.
In ‘Lay Here in the Dark’ MacLean weaves a tender narrative of love and loss, with gentle melodies evoking the spirit of Dido, capturing that blend of vulnerability and strength. It’s a song track that lingers in the mind the same way Eva Cassidy might, with that ability to convey deep emotion through simplicity, mirrored in MacLean’s approach here. The EP also features more spirited energy with the stirring, recently written love ballad ‘London Bridge’. A true forlorn tale of finding and leaving love amongst the ghosts of London’s very own ancient docks - a transfixing love story worthy of a Jude Law romcom in itself!
Showstopping acapella ‘Silence’ further enhances MacLean’s eye-raising vocal prowess with a shuddering yet eerie delivery far greater than the sum of its parts, whist final track ‘This Storm’ written and performed alongside lifelong friend Catherine MacLellan (whose fathers also wrote and toured Canada together in the 70s & 80s) infuses optimism and resilience with and the power of returning love.
MacLean’s remarkable vocal range belies her demure stature, with stripped-back instrumentation allowing her storytelling to take centre stage. With its evocative delivery and relatable themes ‘Live in My Hometown’ showcases MacLean’s award-winning talent and invites the listener to reflect in a rich, worthwhile listen for both longtime fans and newcomers. “In a world that got real tired, real sad” MacLean’s latest work reminds of us home, memory, and the innate need for connection that binds us.
Lesser known in the UK, MacLean recently completed her first tour of the UK where she performed excerpts of her best-selling memoir novel ‘Song of the Sparrow’ alongside an acoustic mix of new and previously released material. Her show at Camden Town’s famous Green Note venue was a masterclass in stagecraft, song delivery and downright charm! Tara MacLean will be releasing new music in the UK and worldwide in 2025 with another full tour planned to follow later that year. More info at www.taramacleanmusic.com
Live in My Hometown Tracklisting 1. Beneath the Path of Crows 2. Lay Here in the Dark 3. London Bridge 4. Silence 5. This Storm
