Once a voice on October Project for their two Epic Records issues (October Project – 1993, Falling Farther In, 1995), Mary Fahl began her solo career in 2001 with a four-track EP (Lenses of Contact), then following that with the excellent full-length album, The Other Side of Time (Sony Odyssey, 2003), which reached #22 on Billboard’s charts. (I reviewed her newly released album way back in 2003.) I called her a unique talent then, I still dfeel the same way today.
Mary Fahl’s voice is big. It is full, rich, resonant, and captivating, “a dusky contralto”. Without expressing my views on The Other Side of Time all over again (read the linked review above for that), I can say that it is an album that, ten years later, I still play on a regular basis.
In 2006, Mary Fahl reinterpreted Pink Floyd’s essential album, The Dark Side of the Moon intending the album to be released by V2 Records. Unfortunately, the label ceased operations and the album (From The Dark Side Of The Moon) was shelved until 2011 when Mary Fahl self-released the album. As with her previous works, Mary Fahl’s voice lends an other-worldly quality to the familiar tracks creating a mesmerizing effort which should be heard.
For more than a year, it has been hinted that a new album of originals (Gravity) would be forthcoming. Recently, Mary Fahl updated her website with news that the new album is very near as she distributes a “selections” CD at her concerts. The upcoming album is now being called Love and Gravity, and should be released sometime in the remaining months of 2013.
If you haven’t heard Mary Fahl’s great voice, then now is a good time to acquaint yourself with it. She’s too good – far too good – to be ignored. A quick visit to her official website will introduce you to four tracks, including “Brain Damage” from her re-imagined The Dark Side of the Moon album.
