Sirens by S. J. Tucker
Sirens, released in 2006, features S. J. at her pixie-punk and pirate best! Her third full-length album, and the most beloved of the lot by many Sooj-fans, Sirens' tracklist crosses realm after realm and tells story after story. We open with an a cappella piece, just as on Sooj's first album Haphazard, and then we take no prisoners, going straight into S. J.'s pagan punk anthem, "Go Away, God-boy!" The surprises continue, with S. J.'s beloved song series The Wendy Trilogy, in which Peter Pan's Wendy learns how to be a pirate and eventually overthrows Captain Hook! This album also features the original recording of Sooj and Betsy's classic tango, "Alligator in the House", and "Cold Sunshine", which was the first Sooj song that Betsy ever wrote a cello part for. S. J.'s home rag, the Memphis Flyer, named Sirens "the perfect mix of witty and weighty", perhaps because near the end we have to grab the tissue box to get through "Valkyrie Daughter", a memorial piece concerning Norse gods and the bond between fathers and daughters.
With S. J.'s customary whimsy and deep doses of truth, Sirens teases the shore of cold, hard reality, dancing on a tide of riddles and fantasies. We hope you like it.
Tracklist
| 1. | The Drowning | 1:56 |
| 2. | Go Away Godboy | 4:47 |
| 3. | Cold Sunshine | 3:42 |
| 4. | The Wendy Trilogy I- Wendy On Board | 5:36 |
| 5. | Carousel | 5:52 |
| 6. | The Wendy Trilogy II- Red-Handed Jill | 5:35 |
| 7. | Alligator in the House | 4:33 |
| 8. | Girl in the Garden | 3:22 |
| 9. | The Wendy Trilogy III- Green-Eyed Sue - Sue's Jig | 7:42 |
| 10. | Valkyrie Daughter | 11:48 |
| 11. | Goddess | 2:44 |
Credits
Lyrics, music, guitars, bass, and vocals by S. J. Tucker
-Tracks 1,3,4,6,9 and 13 mixed by Jay Kenney, Audiologic Inc, Seattle WA
-Tracks 2 and 7 mixed by Ginger Doss, Eagle Audio, Austin TX
-Tracks 5, 8, 10-12 and 14 mixed by Da'nelle Martin, Tekneek Inc, Denver CO
The Drowning lyrics by Catherynne M. Valente
'Alligator in the House' lyrics and music by Betsy Tinney, Katie Tinney, and S.J. Tucker
Drums on 'Go Away Godboy' by Kenny Sharretts
Backing vocals on 'Lady Vagabond' by Celia
Bodhran on 'Lady Vagabond' and 'Green-eyed Sue/Sue's Jig' by Celia
Cello on 'Cold Sunshine' and 'Alligator in the House' by Betsy Tinney
Mandolin on 'Mandolin Holy Man' by Joe Credit III
Album art by Nitia Cheveallier, Melissa Zagidulin, and Kevin K Wiley
Photos by Kevin K Wiley and Kevin Frost
Design and layout by Kevin K Wiley and S. J. Tucker
License
All rights reserved.
“Without our songs and stories, we are nothing.” S. J. Tucker has been captain of her own music career since 2004, when she left the workaday world behind to sing songs and change lives. Tucker is the voice of lore at the campfire and the sharp laughter of modern myth. With one hand anchored in her art and the other held out to us, she is songs and stories, community and wit.