The holidays are often a precious time for people, whether seeing family and friends for the first time in ages or simply waiting for someone’s other half to land at the airport and hurry home. For Toronto-based singer-songwriter Victoria Carr, that feeling is vividly captured in the melodic, roots-based folk effort “New Year’s Eve.” It’s a simple but poignant tale of waiting for that special someone to arrive and doing all the little preparations so their arrival is more welcoming.
“‘New Year’s Eve’ is about waiting for the one you love to get home,” Carr says. And that theme is apparent from its enjoyable start to its almost hypnotic conclusion. From getting the wine chilled to wondering where they’re seated in their flight across the Atlantic to pondering when they’ve flown over Labrador, Carr paints a picture that describes the short-term happiness and elation the visit and reconnection will bring. But also the bigger picture thoughts of whether the relationship will last for years to come.
The single is a gentle, almost criminally melodic affair with Carr’s vocals and acoustic guitar at the forefront. Meanwhile, guitarist Will Whitwham and bassist Tavo Diez de Bonilla (both members of The Wilderness of Manitoba) give “New Year’s Eve” an earthiness that beautifully complements and propels the song forward. Drummer and percussionist Adam Bowman provides subtle percussive patterns while Rachael Cardiello on viola and cellist Michelle Kobakov bring a rich, textured hue to the proceedings. If you were to take singer-songwriters such as Sarah Jarosz, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and the late Nanci Griffith, they would be envious of “New Year’s Eve.”
“New Year’s Eve,” written by Carr and produced by Graham Stairs, and the forthcoming self-titled EP is a victory of sorts for Carr. Recording for it took place during the pandemic in 2020. A music video for the single was recently released and created with Rita Colucci after earlier plans for a video shoot were again nixed by the pandemic. On top of that, Carr battled an autoimmune disease for some time. “Immobility turned me into an observer and a philosopher,” Carr says.
Carr, a member of the Juno Award-nominated group The Wilderness of Manitoba, recorded “New Year’s Eve” at Toronto’s Revolution Recording studios. The musician’s work has been found in audiobook pieces, art installations, and corporate commercials. She also received a 2015 Dora Award nomination for Outstanding Production (Composition and Live Performance) for her work on Hooked.
Now with her five-track self-titled EP on the horizon, fans of Victoria Carr can rejoice that “New Year’s Eve” has come months earlier than expected! Her songwriting depth and caliber are showcased with this incredibly thoughtful tune, one that will be heard far beyond the wilderness of Manitoba.
