CHIRP! The Cardinal Times Music Column: Track 5

Skylah Foster

April 16, 2026

“The Trinity Sessions” (Cowboy Junkies), “What Would the Community Think” (Cat Power) and “Blue” (Joni Mitchell). Photo collage by Skylah Foster

I am permanently stuck listening to a broken record. Well, it’s actually a warped CD, to be more specific. This CD is jammed in the stereo of my used Subaru, too warped to come back out of the CD slot. It’s in constant rotation despite my repeated attempts to eject it. This CD is the Cowboy Junkies’ 1988 album, “The Trinity Sessions.”

“The Trinity Sessions” was recorded in a historic church in Toronto, Canada. This album is haunting, with Margo Timmins’ vocals drenched in the church’s natural reverb and enhanced with thoughtful instrumentation by her brothers, Michael Timmins and Peter Timmins, with Alan Anton on bass. The Cowboy Junkies play a mix of covers and singles on this album, blurring the line between blues and country. The standout cover is the Velvet Underground’s “Sweet Jane.”

Another album that I listen to constantly is Cat Power’s “What Would the Community Think.” This album features Chan Marshall on vocals and guitar, and Sonic Youth’s drummer Steve Shelley on drums and production. The duo delivers indie rock dirges and southern-inspired blues riffs. Marshall delivers the lyrics lightly, barely above a whisper most of the time, but they carry a crushing weight. Marshall, as an artist, paints abstract pictures of sorrow, toxic relationships and her abortion she had in the early 1990’s. Marshall is a talented abstract artist, though her color palette is mostly made up of shades of blue in much of her earlier work.

Speaking of shades of blue, an album I keep returning to is Joni Mitchell’s fittingly named “Blue.” It is one of the most influential albums of all time. Mitchell has influenced everyone, from modern pop stars like Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Lorde and Phoebe Bridgers to past artists, like Bob Dylan, Prince and Stevie Nicks, with her introspective and autobiographical songwriting style. My favorite songs off this album are “A Case of You” and the Christmas-time classic, “River.”

Some exciting albums coming out are “Maitreya Corso,” by Maya Hawke and Tori Amos’ anti-authoritarian concept album, “In Times of Dragons.” Both albums come out on May 1.

About the Contributor

Skylah Foster, Cardinal Times Reporter

Skylah is a senior this year. She is excited to write articles about important, interesting, and fun topics! Her favorite part of being on the paper is writing and researching a story, and working with others to create a finished newspaper. Contact by emailing [email protected] and put the reporter’s name in the subject line.