Pop Music Reviews : Sarah McLachlan’s Soprano Possesses the Wadsworth

A perfect soprano makes up for a multitude of preciousness. And so it was Thursday at the Wadsworth Theater, where Sarah McLachlan’s gorgeous ease in gliding through powerful, ethereal upper registers pretty much dispelled for the time being any thoughts one might have about a relative lack of chutzpah in the material itself.

On record, McLachlan’s resolute prettiness too infrequently catches fire, framed by standard-issue alternative-adult-contemporary production values that downplay the rhythm section. Her live band was no less slick than the crews of record, but more wisely directed to put a kick in the pants of her old-fashioned, lovelorn musings. Moreover, the set list seemed to be designed to save the tunes that take full advantage of McLachlan’s soprano for later, lending the show a subliminal sense of crescendo.

A Peter Gabriel-esque arrangement that had McLachlan and backup soprano Camille Henderson both out in front, singing together in full force, provided the easy vocal peak. But for most of the full house the highlight was the current hit “Possession,” with McLachlan as Raphaelite-poet-sex-goddess, credibly promising to “hold you down, kiss you so hard, I’ll take your breath away.” With lungs like hers, she just could steal it.

Opening up was young Irish band the Devlins, who sound dreamy and--if you’re inclined to think so--look dreamy, too. Singer Colin Devlin sounds a bit like a young version of latter-day Robbie Robertson, though Robertson probably never wrote any songs with as few chord changes as some of these minimalist yawners. The band fared better staying away from two-note dirges, the slightly peppier numbers boding not badly for an improved sophomore run.