Roll Up the Night Sky

Canadian Dana Sipos has one of those voices usually described in words such as ethereal, ghostly, pastoral or ‘almost identical to Natalie Merchant.’ While I might have made that last one up, I’m not the first reviewer to note the resemblance between Sipos’ exquisitely controlled contralto instrument and the signature crooning of the former 10,000 Maniacs lead vocalist.

Recorded in home studios around Montréal and produced by Yukon-based Jordy Walker (of Tanya Tagaq fame), Roll Up the Night Sky showcases Sipos’ undeniable charm and compelling gifts as a singer-songwriter and instrumentalist. ‘Morningside’ is a bluesy ramble; ‘Portraits’ offers a vivid rendering of a lost or former lover; and ‘Road to Michigan’ strives successfully for the emotional arc of an epic journey. Augmenting Sipos’ spare mandolin with a rich tonal palette is an ensemble including cello, violin, French horn, drums and percussion, lap-steel, and guitars. A tinge of psychedelic folk, principally in the form of reverb and drone effects, runs through some of the tracks, adding to the dream-like quality of the session.