I was looking forward to the latest recording from Tracy Chapman, but I have to admit to initially feeling slightly disappointed on hearing New Beginning: I suppose I was still hoping to refind that personal feeling of discovery, shared with so many people the world over, the first time that I heard Tracy singing "Fast Car". But that was then, this is now: several years later, several years more mature, and after a few listenings I realized that there is a new calmness and safety in New Beginning that I hadn't heard in her songs before.
Tracy's songs still carry the same strong message, but express more subtlety. "We can break the cycle. We can break the chain. We can start all over. In the new beginning..." and "Mother of us all. Place of our birth. How can we stand aside and watch the rape of the world..."
Tracy's voice is like honey and iron. Her guitar becomes part of her voice and the music blends smooth. I think the most important song on New beginning is "Say It Like It Is"; "And tell it like it is / But say you'll never close your eyes. / Or pretend that it's a rosy world. / Say you'll never try to paint what is rotten with a sugarcoat.../ Say you'll never cover your ears and close your mouth / And live in a silent world. / Say you'll only run as far or as fast as you need to be secure...
