Paula Cole: Cavalcade 2019

After an album’s worth of deep diving into the American Songbook, Paula Cole has hit the reset button on her new album, Revolution.

There is one song interpretation on the new record, a billowy take on Marvin Gaye’s “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology).” But the balance of the album is all original new songs that are deep, brave, intense, and personal. For Cole, the revolution is from within and relatable to women everywhere.

She speaks candidly about another time when a woman’s voice was always muffled by societal expectation and feelings were sublimated, or even muted, to fit that standard. Many of her biggest pop songs reached and yearned in that way, but with a sweet coating. Her new expressions call the shots in a plain-spoken but eloquent way, through the refinement of her beautifully nuanced voice and piano playing.

These songs, played live in Studio A along with thoughtful conversation, offer a nice meet-up and welcome for the new year. 

[Session recorded: 11/12/19; Engineer: Jeremy Rainer]