Ferron – Resting With The Question (1992)

Canadian singer/songwriter Ferron is known for her folk-rock albums of women’s music, starting with the rare Ferron (1977) and Ferron Backed Up (1978) and including Testimony (1980), Shadows on a Dime (1984), and Phantom Center (1990). Resting with the Question, her sixth studio album, is a change of pace for her. It is a recording of instrumental music that, according to the album booklet, is “performed on the Korg M1 and sequenced on the Atari using the Notator 3.1 program.” Leaving aside the particular brands and types of synthesizers and software used, this is a collection of new age-style music without lyrics or vocals. The style is somewhat less dynamic than that of, say, Yanni or Kitaro, and somewhat more assertive than Brian Eno’s ambient recordings. It is melodic, but the compositions are not simply songs without lyrics. As new age music, it is perfectly acceptable and unremarkable. Ferron fans may enjoy it, as long as they do not buy this album assuming they are going to get another album of thoughtful Ferron songs. The music surely is contemplative, but not in the usual way for Ferron. AllMusic Review by William Ruhlmann