CD Review: Sarah VonDerHaar - Are You Listening Now

Sarah VonDerHaar – Are You Listening Now
2008 Sarah VonDerHaar

Sarah VonDerHaar is a multi-faceted artist. First came her stint on America’s Next Top Model; then movie acting, and now a stellar debut album entitled Are You Listening Now. Sarah VonDerHaar manages to place herself firmly into the pop-rock female vocalist niche without managing to sound too much like anyone else. Are You Listening Now is well produced by Marshall Altman (Zebrahead, Marc Broussard, Brooke Fraser) and is highly accessible to listeners.

Playing off a core of seemingly boundless optimism, Are You Listening Now explores love, loss, and the emotional highs and lows of this talented young lady’s life. The songwriting is surprisingly mature for a twenty-one year old artist, with a definite pop sensibility. All Mine and I Got Sunshine are pure pop bliss and prime examples of Ms. VonDerHaar’s abilities in writing/performing pop-rock music. Sing Me To Sleep is perhaps my favorite of the pop tunes here, although it stands second to the poignant title track.

As debut albums go, this is excellent. The songwriting and vocals are top notch, and the CD is ultimately listenable. If Are You Listening Now is any indication, Sarah VonDerHaar will be gracing your CD player for years to come.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Sarah VonDerHaar at www.sarahvonderhaar.com, where a link is available to order Are You Listening Now.