A certain magic is present when an artist manages to capture the fleeting sense of movement, and that is precisely what Michellar does with September. Here, the San Francisco-based artist has created something truly beautiful–a folk meditation that is timeless and incredibly intimate at the same time.
The DNA of this song is filled with the impact of such classic folk storytellers as James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, and Bob Dylan, though Michellar never feels the derivative. Rather, she has taken those influences and refracted her through her own artistic perception, producing something that gives credit to the tradition, but which nonetheless is entirely her own. The soft tune has that homesickness that great folk music has–the power to make you homesick with places you have never visited.
The vocal performance of Helen Walford adds incredible emotional color to the composition. Her voice is the voice of Michellar’s vision, and the moments of pure emotional resonance they produce raise the whole composition to the sky. The collaboration is not imposed, but it seems that it is rooted in the emotional gist of the song.
The international production strategy: demos were made in San Francisco and finished production was done by Tobias Wilson in Staffordshire provides an interesting sonic texture that reflects the themes of transition and reflection in the song. The tender folk arrangement is warm and the production touches are subtle and add to the composition instead of dominating.
The fact that, in September, I felt that particular sense of looking backwards as I move forward, is the most impressive to me. Michellar has reached the universal here–that bittersweet point at which we stop to consider the past but accept the present. It is the type of music that can be listened to in silence and each time one listens to it, there is something new to experience in terms of emotions. This is narrative at its best asking the audience to share a memory and a self-reflection.
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