But as Homer knew well, appearances can be deceiving. In seven original songs on her debut release, Of Armor And Old Lies: Odyssey Songs Volume 1, Charlene takes the familiar tales of Odysseus’ ten-year journey home from the Trojan War — the subject of countless adventure films and the bane of many a glassy-eyed college freshman — and recrafts them as compellingly sensuous pop-folk songs.
"The idea to do a cycle of songs based on The Odyssey just dropped on me one cold December night," says Charlene. "I had just gotten through a long, devastating breakup, and was kind of drifting on a raft, emotionally. I couldn’t sleep and the song "Dangerous Eyes" — which I had written years before — came into my head. That song was inspired by Odysseus, and I started thinking about his story and how it resonated with me on a very personal level: the smart and determined hero who still manages to trip himself up, the long search for home and a beloved companion, the inner monsters turned into visible ones. Suddenly I saw the whole story transformed into songs that I knew I could write."
This personal frame of reference is the secret strength of Odyssey Songs. Unlike such recent takes on The Odyssey as the Coen brothers’ O Brother, Where Art Thou, Charlene’s goal is not simply to be clever. In the same way that Homer collected stories that were already very old, and retold them in a way that his Bronze Age audiences could relate to, she uses Homer's tale as a sort of skewed mirror, to look deep into the yearnings and contradictions of the modern psyche.
Thus a song like the opening "Dangerous Eyes," is not only about Odysseus sizing up the dangers he faces and the choices that have brought him there, but also a portrait of anyone addicted to risk and doomed relationships. A lament of Odysseus’ weary crew, "And If I Ever (Roll Through the Foam)," is also a timely examination of survivor’s guilt, and the terrible price we all pay for our leaders’ ambition. The ballad "Release Yourself," with its haunting image of a woman "wedded to phantoms" resonates achingly with the unrelenting parade of loss and grief in our daily news.
But the album is not all sorrow. One of its great joys is the way that Charlene restores music to Homer. "The Odyssey was never meant to be read silently," she says. "It was meant to be sung. Names like ‘Ithaca’ and ‘Penelope’ are musical words. They always were. It’s just that most of us don’t think of them that way any more." And the songs go beyond the usual singer-songwriter territory into a wide range of musical styles and inventive vocal arrangements, such as the rocking "Sacrifice," where she adds a humorous bite to the heart and understanding that run through these songs.
Carried by Charlene's smooth alto voice, these words float in a dusky blend of acoustic guitars, piano, sax and backup vocals — a timeless sound with just enough electric guitar to have one foot firmly in the 21st Century.
In this way Charlene — Homeric bard and contemporary songsmith — straddles centuries and worlds.
| Of Armor and Old Lies: Odyssey Songs Vol. 1 Produced by Rob Ignazio of Porter Square Studio and Charlene DiCalogero. Engineered by Rob Ignazio. Mastered by Dave Locke, JPMasters. |
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Dangerous Eyes Charlene: vocals, nylon string guitar Stuart Berk: e-bow guitar G. P. Rubin: bass Rob Ignazio: claves |
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Sacrifice (hear mp3 audio clip) Charlene: lead ghost vocal, nylon string guitars Anna Huckabee Tull and Moi Romanowsky: backup ghosts and general mayhem Rob Ignazio: electric guitars, bass and more mayhem Deb Blackadar: darbouka, tambourine, drums, and totally excellent mayhem |
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At Night Charlene: vocals, nylon string guitars Moi Romanowsky: piano Rob Ignazio: bass Deb Blackadar: conga, kick drum, afuche, shakers, triangle, claves |
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And If I Ever (Roll Through the Foam) |
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In My Net Charlene: vocals, nylon string guitar Rob Ignazio: bass Deb Blackadar: drums |
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Release Yourself Charlene: vocals, nylon string guitar Aika Hirahara: soprano saxes |
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The Home Waltz Charlene: 1st lead vocal, nylon string guitar Moi Romanowsky: 2nd lead vocal Rob Ignazio: bass, tambourine |
| For more audio clips, go to cdfreedom.com |
