Love and Empathy Run Deep in Caroline Spence's True North

Caroline Spence
“True North”
Rounder Records
2022

In 2022, Caroline Spence released the brilliant and beautiful album “True North.” This is art of the highest caliber, a significant accomplishment in the music industry. Being constrained by the limitations imposed by major record labels doesn’t foster uninhibited creation, which is unfortunate for both the artist and the eventual listener. Fortunately, on her final album for Rounder Records, this remarkable singer-songwriter’s insightful, thoughtful, and personal reflections are available for everyone to enjoy.

At the time of “True North’s” release, Spence stated, “this is an album of deep love - love for time on this earth, love for all the people that pass through your life, love for yourself exactly as you are… love for your partner, love for unanswered questions, love for searching and yearning and feeling. This is also an album of grief, which is a form of love. I've felt hesitant to hang my hat here because I don't want sadness to be the headline for this record, because grief is more than sadness, it's love.” And in that spirit of openness, rolling with life’s punches, feeling the pain, and embracing healing, she has succeeded.

The album opens with “Mary Oliver,” invoking the late American poet while exploring the details of daily life and living with grief. "The Gift” is about the fleeting quality of time and how it is the only thing we have. “Clean Getaway” confronts the reality that we must face our truths, and there's no escaping some things we’d rather run away from. The title track celebrates a friend finding their true calling and purpose.

The gentle waves carrying this collection of songs convey themes of friendship and connectedness. “Scale These Walls” invites a lover or friend to penetrate the walls she’s constructed. “Walk the Walk” and “I Know You Know Me” offer friendship and support to a troubled companion. “The Next Good Time” advises that when trouble finds you, “Grit your teeth, get through it, and wait for the next good time.” While this might seem routine fare, it isn’t in the masterful hands of this songstress. Her beautiful expression of love and empathy is genuine and sincere.

“Blue Sky Rain” grapples with the unyielding forces in a failing relationship, while a loner finds renewal in the healing power of love in “I Forget the Rest.” Many emotional stones are turned here, and the precision of Spence’s delivery of her lyrics is always on target. The Greek mythology referencing “Icarus” celebrates a life free of fear and open to adventure, without trepidation about flying too high.

The album concludes with “There’s Always Room,” a poignant expression of revelations gained through loss and self-discovery: "Oh, I have lost, but oh, I have found parts of you I never knew I carried." Our familial bonds often run deeper than we realize; like love, they are to be cherished when everything we hold dear feels lost.