Vivacious is certainly an apt title for this fourth album by teenage fiddle prodigy Samantha Robichaud. The lively, high-energy tunes that fill the CD traverse a variety of styles, from the Latin-inflected "Espagnol" to the straight-forward "Three Men on a White Horse."

With poise belying her 17 years, the New Brunswick native also calls upon her Acadian roots on "La Match," the rousing finale to the album. Other highlights include "Two-Faced," which features "Elmo's Reel," the song that earned Robichaud second place in the teen category at the 2005 International Songwriting Competition. Aided by Georges Belliveau's guitar, the wistful "Bird on the Fence" has a yearning, lovelorn quality that makes it one of the most memorable tracks in the collection.

Vivacious features five original numbers by Robichaud, and she picks up arranging and producing credits for several pieces. Robichaud even switches from fiddling to singing on "I'm Not Going Anywhere" (an ode to her Maritime home) and "Why Does It Matter," the latter of which she co-wrote. While her singing does not quite match the technical and artistic maturity of her fiddling, it shows promise, as does her songwriting.

No doubt, we will be hearing more from this multi-talented musician in the future.

- Rambles
written by Celeste Miller
published 30 April 2005

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