For me there is little more powerful than hearing a good singer-songwriter. I love when I hear a song that makes me think, ‘Yeah, that’s it. That’s what I think. S/he’s captured it in so little words! Wow, well-said!” I find myself doing this over and over again with Slaid Cleaves. As he said himself in an interview you can read about from his website, "I eventually learned — or decided — that my job was not to tell people how I felt, but to tell them how they felt.” Again, perfectly articulated. His songs are a good mix of folk, blues and country, what I’ve come to know and appreciate as Americana. I’m not the only one who appreciates Slaid’s songwriting. Stephen King, another native of Maine, said this about him,

"I’m not particularly good when it comes to talking about music, but I know what works for me: what comes across as one hundred percent authentic. Slaid Cleaves is that thing. He starts in, and something inside the listener speaks up an says, “ You’re home.” He can be funny; he can be romantic without being sappy (no mean trick);he can touch your heart…His taste is as deft as his touch…I’m so glad I found Slaid Cleaves, because my life would have been poorer without him. You’ll feel the same, I think when you listen to this beautifully crafted album."

I’ve been listening to Slaid Cleaves’ songs for almost twenty years now. Slaid grew up in my adopted hometown of South Berwick, Maine and moved to Austin, Texas eighteen years ago to pursue a career as a singer and songwriter. He’s worked with me in writing workshops with my eighth grade students, done benefit concerts for local causes and has performed in the town of South Berwick, every summer for the last six or seven years in our Hot Summer Nights concert series. He brings with him his humble charm and thoughtful storytelling and shares it with all of us on the lawn in front of his elementary school where I now work as a first grade teacher.

Last week he performed here once again in South Berwick. Slaid has just released his newest C.D. Everything you Love Will be Taken Away. He sang many of his new songs, and they took my breath away. Once again his lyrics and melodies spoke to my soul. As you may guess from its foreboding title, his subject matter is not trivial. In this latest C.D. he writes poignantly about death, capital punishment, political deception, war, heartbreak and despair. The song which the title comes from, Cry is #6 on the Americana charts-above Bob Dylan! It’s the story of his parents’ long marriage and its end. The song that struck me the most was Temporary, which came to him in a dream and was inspired by epitaphs on gravestones. In it, he makes it clear how everything in life is indeed temporary. Watching him perform it, I was reminded to live and be truly present in each moment.

The writing seems effortless, yet any writer knows that to be untrue. When I hear the polished words of Slaid’s songs, I know how much hard labor made them as tight as they are. I know first hand how particular Slaid is about words through a good friend of mine who grew up with and co-wrote a song with him. She happened upon a story about Flagstaff, Maine in Yankee magazine a few years ago and began to write a poem. The electric company, in search of an ever-increasing demand for hydroelectric energy sources, decided to dam up the Dead River at Flagstaff, ME. The town would be flooded and be submerged under a lake forever. As she investigated further and labored over her writing, she decided to send her developing poem to Slaid. Over the next year, they worked, back and forth by e-mail ‘polishing’ the words while Slaid worked on the music. The result was a song, “Below”. You may want to check it and the video my friend made documenting the story on U-tube.

I’d encourage any of you to check out his website. Just google Slaid Cleaves, and you’ll find it. You’ll find some interesting stories, interviews, reviews and video and audio clip. Most of all, though, I hope you’ll listen to some of his songs and find what I've found, a little piece of myself. Happy listening!