As I listen to Christine Fellows' Paper Anniversary, I'm beginning to think that she might just be a bit magical. Before even having the chance to open Word, I've experienced two rather interesting coincidences:

1. While reading in her bio that she often finds that "sometimes the best sounds come from…everyday noises we tend to take for granted, like…purring cats", the track "Instructions on How to Dissect a Ground Owl" began with the familiar sound of a cat a purring


2. Immediately following "Instructions on How to Dissect a Ground Owl" is the album's title track. As the track began playing, Christine Fellows' website (christinefellows.com) loaded in my browser and began playing "Paper Anniversary". Although not in unison with iTunes which had begun playing the track seconds prior, the website player did start almost exactly at the beginning of a measure creating a rather unique experience hearing the track in round.

Sure, this probably isn't the work of a mystical hand, but it does reinforce something I learned from my previous listens to the album: there is something special about Christine Fellows.

Recorded at her home in Winnipeg, Paper Anniversary maintains the intimate feel you would expect from a home recording and by that I don't mean that it sounds like it was recorded at home due to poor production quality. What provides the album with its homey quality is Fellows' willingness to include everyday sounds in her recordings. The sounds provide an instant familiarity and when paired with a rich bed of strings provide a lush bed of sound to carry Fellows' pristine vocals — vocals so pure that they could provide comfort no matter the circumstance, even a winter in Winnipeg.