Lori Diamond & Fred Abatelli - True

Lori Diamond / Fred Abatelli - True
2011, 5th Chakra Records

Bostonian Lori Diamond and New Yorker Fred Abatelli are a testament to a time, not so long ago, when MySpace was a vibrant community. The two "met" on MySpace in 2007, and began what has turned out to be an extremely successful musical collaboration. Diamond has a golden voice and a gentle touch at the piano that shows itself in the beautiful and fluid songs she writes. Abatelli offers the perfect counterweight to Diamond's songs on the fret boards of both bass and 6-string guitar. Two of Diamond's prior albums, Bound and Mystery (with Abatelli), have earned rave feedback from fellow artists and media alike. On October 22, 2011, Diamond and Abatelli release their second album, True, building on their reputation for great songwriting and seamless playing.

Lori Diamond and Fred Abatelli share an undeniable chemistry in their music. What was readily apparent on Mystery comes fully into bloom on True. The album itself is easy to underestimate. Diamond and Abatelli's songs never truly blow you away, but are of such consistent quality in melody, lyric and arrangement, that you can almost lose track of how well-written they are. Diamond's voice is a pure instrument, calling to mind folks such as Sarah McLachlan and Joni Mitchell. Her phrasing and tone are ideal throughout the album. Abatelli contributes quietly throughout the album, enhancing the framework of each song with subtle, yet palpable work on both the bass and guitar.

True opens with The Inside, a gorgeous, five-and-a-half minute ballad. The sounds Diamond and Abatelli create here are beautiful, layering voices and instruments into a mellow, but dynamic weave you simply have to hear. From there on it out its one solid performance after another, from the soulful "True", the Latin sounds of "All Comes Round", or the efficient beauty of "Never Too Late" The pair offer up a lovely piano/guitar instrumental in the form of "Love's Early Days", painting in musical pastels an impressionistic portrait of the gentleness of spirit that accompanies new love. Diamond raises the bar vocally for "Choosing Peace" and "Your Face". The former is a gorgeous, fluid performance that perhaps exceeds any of her prior recordings, and the latter is just a vocal "Wow" moment.

Lori Diamond and Fred Abatelli won't grab you by the shirt and make you listen; rather, they create subtle songs full of beautiful movement that slowly draws you in. Diamond's voice is mesmerizing, and her piano work is enhanced by the eminently subtle guitar work of Abatelli. True shows a duo continuing to improve on a chemistry and shared musical vision that had previously proven quite rare. True is the sort of album that inspires impatience to hear what Diamond and Abatelli might do next.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Lori Diamond at www.loridiamond.net or www.myspace.com/loridiamond. True is available on CD through Diamond's website.  Downloads are available through the link below.

            MP3                     

Please note that the Amazon.com prices listed above are as of the posting date, and may have changed. Wildy's World is not responsible for price changes instituted by Amazon.com.