Folk singer-songwriter Rebecca Parks unveils her first new album in 10 years. Entitled Secret Stage, the album delves into growing older and concepts of social justice.
Parks explains, “When I wrote these songs, I was facing health challenges ranging from menopause to genetic kidney disease. These songs are about being older and the life experience that comes with that. Many of the other songs on the album are about standing up to oppression at the personal and political levels. As a child, I witnessed domestic violence firsthand, and, as an adult, I volunteered at a domestic violence hotline.”
Along with displaying Parks’ talent as a vocalist, pianist, and fingerstyle guitarist, Secret Stage features the vocal harmonies of Gary Parks.
Made up of a baker’s dozen of tracks, suggested entry points on the album include the title track, which travels on a beautifully elegant piano, rippling with warm colors. Dulcet vocal harmonies give the lyrics an evocative tenderness.
On the country-flavored song “Too San Francisco for Nashville,” which was inspired by the remark a publisher once made to her, Parks shows off her flair for lyricism:
“I try to write a country song / About a job that’s going wrong / The hours and wages are unfair / The nasty boss just doesn’t care / And so she leads a union strike, Negotiates a good pay hike / The benefits are all done right / And there’s a yoga class on site / Too San Francisco for Nashville.”
A personal favorite because of its moody feel and accenting violin, “Not Really Here” reveals a melancholic isolation engendered by the status quo of the world – so strange that Parks suspects she’s not “really here.” The sad, crying tones of the violin add to the poignancy of the melody.
“Nemesis” shifts the sonic direction of the album from folk to potent alt-rock guitars, heavy and dark. Talking about the song, Parks says, “I heard a song on the radio about a guy attacking a woman, and I wrote this song. It had to be an intense rock song,”
“Small Group of People” ties the album off with aromas of psych-folk reminiscent of the ‘60s. There’s a protest song sensibility about the track that harks back to Joan Baez.
With Secret Stage, Rebecca Parks finds her palette, merging approachable melodies with gleaming guitars and telltale lyrics.
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