Light Over There - Light Over There

Light Over There – Light Over There
2015, Light Over There

The ubiquitous nature of the internet has allowed for artists who might never otherwise meet to connect and make some great art.  Perhaps none of those stories is as intriguing as the one behind Light Over There.  Rex Haberman is a musical veteran, with two solo albums, a duo album a series of EPs with socially progressive rockers War Poets.  Aileen Henderson is an 18 year old resident of Galway, Ireland.  Haberman Aileen Henderson met via Twitter in 2014, and still have never met face to face. Nevertheless, they have begun a writing and recording partnership that is bound to catch your ear.  The duo, with the help of a handful of Nashville musicians, recently released their debut EP, Light Over There. 

Light Over There kicks off with “Where Memories Live”, a solid Americana rocker with a good voice and the wonderfully enigmatic lead vocals of Aileen Henderson.  The song tackles the subject of dementia and the devastating impact it has on families.  In spite of heaviness of the subject, there’s a lightness and energy to the guitar-driven arrangement that reflects love for the passive protagonist.  This energy carries over to “She Cries To You”.  The juxtaposition of Henderson’s reserved yet dynamic voice and the up-beat rock arrangement is reminiscent of some of the better work of the Cowboy Junkies.  You’ll have a hard time shaking this song; it will follow you around for a few days, popping into you head at the most random moments.

“I Ain’t That Bad” is a low-key duet between Haberman and Henderson that’s well meant but perhaps doesn’t work quite as well as expected.  The arrangement has a country-ish Gin Blossoms feel, but there’s little vocal chemistry between Haberman and Henderson, and the gap is something of a distraction.  “Solitude, Gratitude” is another solid, low-key rocker, but Henderson’s vocal energy just isn’t this one.  Her voice is pleasant enough here, there’s just no oomph in the performance this time around.  Light Over There closes out with “Mountain Song”, by far the standout track on the EP.  It’s catchy, yet understated, and makes a brilliant showcase for Aileen Henderson’s voice.   Everything clicks here.

Light Over There chose their name as a reflection of the wonder of two musical kindred spirits finding one another across the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean (or the internet).  That inspiration is apparent on Light Over There more often than not.  The disconnect of recording in different places at different times does show up at times, but the band generally does a very good job of bringing an organic feel to the songs.  It will be interesting to see how the project progresses over time; working face to face will likely help Haberman and Henderson find the deeper roots that are apparent from the music on their promising debut.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Light Over There from the band’s Facebook page.  Light Over There is available via Amazon or iTunes.

May Stands Still - When You Come Home

May Stands Still - When You Come Home
2012, Milestone Music Studios

Los Angeles based singer/songwriter Emily Herndon is the driving force behind May Stands Still.  Working with a group of brilliant musicians, Herndon creates edgy folk music that blurs the line between folk and rock and roll.  Her lyrical aptitude, refreshing honesty and musical surety have made her a favorite on the west coast, and she is a top-5 artist in L.A. on ReverbNation.  May Stands Still received critical praise for their 2010 debut EP, Matter Of Time, but she raises the bar on the soon to be released When You Come Home, a collection of eleven literate and heartfelt folk/pop songs that have staying power.

May Stands Still starts off with the smart and peppy melancholy of "Gotta See". This is a mixed bag of emotions that is mildly tragic and utterly moving. "Wild" is an ode to someone who is able to create a sort of social magic from the stage. Once again May Stands Still wallows in deep and conflicting emotions and an utterly tuneful melody. "I Want You" is a classic song of love and longing that ends Ina wonderfully uncertain resolution. The song is well written and artfully performed; a definite highlight.

"New Groove" carries it with the energy and motivation brought on by new love, as well as the angst it brings. This is a nice snapshot at the inner thoughts that swirl around the fall. "Soldier" carries a dark beauty; informed by some Celtic influenced violin and some amazing vocal harmonies. This is a moving piece that will haunt you, particularly if you, like the song's narrator, are waiting for someone you know and love to return from deployment overseas. May Stands Still takes a surprising turn on "Make Me", building a solid groove in a song of self confidence and rugged determination.

"Sleeping Alone" is a beautiful moment of indecision and vulnerability where she explores her fear of dropping her defenses to let love in and her lack of fear of loneliness. "Wherever You Are" is a one sided conversation with a loved one who has passed away that communicates in real and heartfelt terms the worries that follow in the wake of loss.

"Raina" is a love song for the sort of free spirits everyone roots for here. The emotional lines blur here, as Herndon sings from her melancholy depths of real joy. "Falling" explores another aspect of happiness. Falling in love is compared to dreams, with reality the waking up. The orchestration here is beautiful, and the emotional weight of the song is wrapped in a beauty that keeps it buoyant. When You Come Home closes in appropriately melancholy tones with the lovely and quietly heartbreaking "Blue June".   Emily Herndon is at her best here, and the song rolls out her heartbreak like honey from a jar.

May Stands Still makes a mark on listeners.  Emily Herndon sings with the same quiet reserve and vocal beauty that made Margo Timmons and Cowboy Junkies famous.  At the same time, there’s a world of emotion going on in Herndon’s voice, which is rich and a pleasure to listen to.  The songwriting here is certainly worth taking note of as well.  May Stands Still has a lot to say, and wraps each story in such beauty you’re likely to be transfixed.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about May Stands Still at www.reverbnation.com/MayStandsStill. 

Gwyneth & Monko – Gwyneth & Monko

Gwyneth & Monko – Gwyneth & Monko
2011, Gwyneth & Monko

Gwyneth Moreland and Michael Monko return this week with their first full-length album, Gwyneth & Monko.  The follow-up to last summer’s Good Ol’ Horse EP reflects a somewhat darker aspect to the duo’s music, a blend of the sharp Americana style they’ve displayed in the past and a slightly more serious approach as songwriters that has developed over the past year on the road together. 

Gwyneth & Monko opens with “Found In Benson”, a simultaneously joyful and melancholy piece that manages to be repetitive and mundane.  The juxtaposition of moods is the most intriguing part in what is arguably a weak opening track.  “Consumption” is a prairie ballad about tuberculosis and the lives it stole or left broken in one family.  Mournful and dark, this is an example of Moreland’s finesse as a lyricist and is among the best song craft on the album.  “Hand In The Fire” is fairly average for songwriting, but shows off the distinctive nature and beauty of Moreland’s voice in perfect relief.

Gwyneth & Monko go for a vaguely bluesy blend of Appalachian folk and gospel on “Blood Of The Lamb”, capturing a musical moment that is memorable both for the song for the haunting beauty of Moreland’s vocal.  “Summer Bliss” and “Get In The Sun” are bland and forgettable, although the latter finds Moreland sounding a bit like a young Stevie Nicks (although with better enunciation).  “The Raven” takes off on the Edgar Allan Poe tale in a Cowboy Junkies-style arrangement.  The sound is nice, but doesn’t necessarily work here.  Margo Timmons has an amazing voice, but Moreland is a different kind of vocalist, and this low energy approach just doesn’t work here.

“Eloise” is a song of heartbreak; written from the perspective of a man who has been forsaken by the only one he ever loved.  The lyrics and arrangement are solid, but the vocal makes the song stand up and walk.  “Can’t Stay Long” is in the same class as “Blood Of The Lamb”, blending great energy with a plus arrangement and a standout vocal line.  “Song Of The Robin Redbreast” is aesthetic and sweet, and leads into a wax cylinder recording of “Pine Box Sailor”.  This last seems more an exercise than anything else, experimentation in sound.  While the recording is messy, it’s inarguable that Moreland, in particular, sounds right at home.  The wax recording brings out some of the qualities in her voice you might hear in a live setting, and gives you an idea of how good she really is.

Gwyneth & Monko show flashes of the energy and panache that made their debut EP, Good ‘Ol Horse, such a pleasure to find, but Gwyneth & Monko fails to live up to the resultant expectations.  There are a couple of examples of what the duo is capable of as songwriters, but as a whole the songwriting is somewhat lackluster.  The effort is saved again and again by the voice of Gwyneth Moreland.  She is one of those vocalists who can make a bad song listenable and a good song great.  Moreland gives life to several songs on Gwyneth & Monko that are otherwise mundane.  Michael Monko is steady at helm on the instrumental side, providing solid arrangements for Moreland to play against, but the sense of inspiration the duo have showed previously just never quite establishes itself here.  Gwyneth & Monk have grown as songwriters, and that’s always a positive.  If they can keep that growth and re-infuse some of the energy they’ve shown previously they’re going to do great things.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Gwyneth And Monko at www.gwynethandmonko.com or www.myspace.com/gwynethmoreland.  Gwyneth & Monko is available digitally from Amazon.com and iTunes.

Cowboy Junkies – Demons: The Nomad Series Volume 2

Cowboy Junkies – Demons: The Nomad Series Volume 2

2011, Razor & Tie/Latent Recordings

Cowboy Junkies was formed back in 1985 by siblings Margo Timmons (vocals), Michael Timmins (guitar, songwriting) and Peter Timmins (drums) along with bassist Alan Anton.  Twenty-six years on and the original foursome are still together, with occasional help from friends.  Cowboy Junkies broke into international prominence with their second album, The Trinity Sessions back in 1987, led by their smash hit cover of the Velvet Underground’s “Sweet Jane”.    While the Cowboy Junkies haven’t seen a lot of chart action outside of their native Canada since that time, they have developed an almost rabid following on three continents.  In 1998 the band went back to their Indie roots, releasing fourteen albums since that time on their own imprint, Latent Recordings.  Cowboy Junkies’ latest effort, Demons: The Nomad Series Volume 2 is a collection of the music of Vic Chestnutt.  Chestnutt had played with Cowboy Junkies over the years, and the album seems a sort of memoriam to him from the band.  Demons hits shelves virtual and real on February 15, 2011.

Demons opens with "Wrong Piano", a pretty and ethereal interpretation that finds Margo Timmins shedding the perfect blend of dark and light in her vocals.  The roiling arrangement is at one peaceful and disturbing, with the lead guitar setting out an arrhythmic musical heartbeat driven by sadness.  "Flirted With You All My Life" is a love song to death.  Chestnutt's songwriting is dark and compelling, casting his courtship with the afterlife as a romance.  "See You Around" is perhaps one of Chestnutt's most brilliant songwriting moments.  The melancholy melody drips with an insolent brilliance, and Margo Timmins takes the song as her own.  The gorgeous arrangement is crowned with synth as a haunting counter voice to Timmons.  This is a wow moment.

"Betty Lonely" is articulate but drawn out to interminable lengths.  The performance is solid and the vocals are entrancing, but the song itself is just too deep in pathos for all but the most sunless souls.  "Square Room" is a pretty, pragmatic folk tune with many layers.  Written from the depths of alcoholism and loneliness, Timmons explores Chestnutt's delineation of dreams that might have been.  "Supernatural" has a gorgeous melody buried deep in a sorrowful arrangement that will surprise you.  The Cowboy Junkies manage to bring out the tragic beauty in this tune more clearly than Chestnutt's recording, but lose none of his muted sense of awe.  "West Of Rome" is dark, mournful and moribund, but beautiful in its deficit of light.  This one moves slowly and may wear on some listeners, but the song has an esoteric beauty that's strongly enhanced by the string arrangement.  Demons closes with a trio of songs, "Strange Language", "We Hovered With Short Wings" and "When The Bottom Fell Out" that fail to live up to what's come before.  The performances are all solid, but you'll get the sense that these were chosen more to fill out the album than for any sense of inspiration.

Cowboy Junkies have never been known for taking things lightly.  Their musical history is one of minimalism and beauty.  Playing on the instrumental/writing genius of Michael Timmons and the soul-melting alto of Margo Timmons, Cowboy Junkies have inspired an entire generation of down-tempo and mellow artists to reach for new heights.  All of those qualities are present on Demons, blended with the disturbed and occasionally brilliant songwriting of Vic Chestnutt.  Sometimes this mix is pure genius, and sometimes it just doesn't work so well.  Even in the moments that don't quite mesh, Cowboy Junkies manage to bring out the best in the songs presented here, but folks who are diehard fans of either Chestnutt or Cowboy Junkies might get a little lost along the way.  In its best moments, Demons is haunting.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Cowboy Junkies at www.cowboyjunkies.com,  www.latentrecordings.com/cowboyjunkies or www.myspace.com/cowboyjunkies.  Demons drops on February 15, 2011.  You can pre-order the album on CD, on Vinyl or as a Download from Amazon.com.Check out Cowboy Junkies tonight (February 9th) on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.

Kaiser Cartel - Secret Transit

Kaiser Cartel - Secret Transit
2010, Daniel Records

Brooklyn duo and Wildy’s World Artist of the month for July 2010 Kaiser Cartel are at it again. Known for creating unusual and strikingly beautiful pop/rock songs, Kaiser Cartel launch forward into 2010 and beyond with Secret Transit. Secret Transit is the follow-up to 2008’s March Forth, a brilliant and ultimately tuneful album that received critical raves. If Secret Transit falls short of the bar Kaiser Cartel set with March Forth, it would be comparable to a world class sprinter missing the Gold by hundredths of a second.

Secret Transit opens with "Riverboat Dream" a darkly beautiful, ethereal musical experience. Courtney Kaisers's voice is haunting, and Benjamin Cartle’s provides a lonely, comforting harmony. This is a song that will stick with you long after the album's stopped playing. "Carroll Street Station" is a uniquely New York City experience that you'll only truly get if you've lived there (or in a similarly large city). "Carroll Street Station" displays the ultimate irony of Kaiser Cartel, their ability to create beautiful and fluid melodies in the midst of garage/folk arrangements. "Brave Enough" holds hints of Sarah McLachlan in a pretty, easy going ballad that shows off Kaiser's voice in fine form. In a musical 180, Kaiser Cartel recalls Liz Phair with "Worn Out Nervous Condition", a gritty acoustic rocker about relationship angst.

"Around You" is a lush pop love song; a sweet and tuneful song of longing that has real impact. This quiet power of Kaiser Cartel to touch listeners doesn't show up in every song, but has reared its head occasionally across their albums. It's safe to say it's never been quite as powerful as it is here. "Ready To Go" is a highly catchy tune, showing off a low-key but active melody that calls to mind a hyped-up version of The Cowboy Junkies. "Memphis" is perhaps the finest songwriting on the album, a low-key folk/rock song that combines stark and sweet while somehow detracting from neither mood. Secret Transit winds down with the dark ballad "The Wait". The slow, low-key song descends into the cognitive noise of dreams at the end, but serves as the perfect vehicle for appreciating Kaisers's heavenly voice.

Kaiser Cartel have developed a sound that's distinctly their own while giving knowing nods to several diverse artists. With Secret Transit this blend of influences has become an alchemy that's impossible to ignore. While low key in approach, there is tangible life in the songs on Secret Transit, and Kaiser Cartel have never sounded so lush and in the moment. Courtney Kaiser may have one of the most listenable voices in Indie Rock, and it seems like the day when Kaiser Cartel are playing to larger and larger artists must be right around the corner.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Kaiser Cartel at http://www.kaisercartel.com/ or www.facebook.com/kaisercartel.  Secret Transit is available from Amazon as either a CD or Download.  The album may also be downloaded from iTunes.

Mary Gauthier - The Foundling

Mary Gauthier - The Foundling
2010, Razor & Tie

Mary Gauthier places a bit of herself in every song, but on her sixth album, The Foundling, Gauthier takes it to a new level. The Foundling is an autobiographical concept album, if such is possible. Dealing with her abandonment as an infant and the journey of understanding that took some forty years thereafter, Gauthier’s The Foundling is intensely personal, and plays like the soundtrack to a musical. With production from the Cowboy Junkies’ Michael Timmins, and backing vocals from the exquisitely voiced Margo Timmins, Gauthier weaves wondrous songs of truth, tragedy and hope on The Foundling.

Gauthier opens with the title track; "The Foundling" has a dark, southwestern country feel done up in minor keys. Gorgeously orchestrated, "The Foundling" sounds like Broadway done sorrowful cowboy style. Gauthier's voice is full of texture and pain; she breathes each line as if she's living the tale rather than telling it. "Mama Here, Mama Gone" is the stark picture in song of a newborn without a Mama to reach out to. It's a sorrowful heartbreaker, ethereal and beautiful in the pure tragedy it conveys. "Goodbye" could be The Foundling's (the character) theme; the story of a soul too pained to stay in one place too long or make any personal connections. Gauthier's plain-spoken vocal style is a treat; bring an earthy sensibility to a dark character story.

Shades of New Orleans slip in on "Slideshow", a song about the sort of nighttime entertainments that draw the lost and disaffected. It's Gauthier at her best, as the redheaded step-child of Randy Newman and Bonnie Raitt. "Blood Is Blood" documents the search for the mother who left her; walking the streets of New Orleans searching for a face that's somehow familiar though unknown. The song is full of emotional turmoil, played out effectively between the violin and guitar. Love, anger, sorrow and ribbons of resigned hate pulse through this powerful tune of longing. "March 11, 1962" is a coming home, of sorts. Gauthier finds the mother who bore her, and reaches out via telephone. Unsure of why she's calling, but looking for some sense of peace. There is an air of hope that rises out of the darkness of years, but falls back into resignation as she closes the call with an ending rather than a beginning.

In "Sweet Words" Gauthier comes face to face with her own inability to trust in the kindness of others. It is the quiet anthem of someone who has been deeply hurt and can never fully trust again. The other side of the emotional coin is presented on "The Orphan King", the lost and perpetually lonely dream of love and hope for it even as it eludes their broken souls. It's a tremendous soliloquy of hope against hope. "Another Day Borrowed" is perhaps something of a happy ending. Our anti-hero continues to travel from town to town, failing to put down roots or build connections too deep; but she's no longer running. Now Gauthier is thankful for each day and opportunity, taking from the world what it will give with an air of wonder that even such pittance might be hers.

Mary Gauthier's is a highly affecting and musical affair; an Off-Broadway musical in the making should she wish it. All the elements are here; an intriguing lead character, an archetypal motivation, the sort of human flaws we can all identify with but magnified to theatrical levels, and a resolution that isn't happily ever after, but happy nonetheless. Musically, The Foundling is an amazing experience. Gauthier's songs flow like water, with the gritty determination of someone who has spent a life getting by on inspiration and grit. If you're not moved by The Foundling you aren't listening.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Mary Gauthier at http://www.marygauthier.com/ or www.myspace.com/marygauthier. The Foundling is available as either a CD or Download from Amazon. Digital copies are also available via iTunes.

Review: Evangenitals - Evangenitals [EP]

Evangenitals – Evangenitals EP
2009, Evangenitals

Los Angeles musical gypsies the Evangenitals are either a deliriously obtuse experiment in musical realism, the outgrowth of serious medicative therapy or the benign side effects from a misspent youth. I am voting for all-of-the-above. Playwright/singer/songwriter Juli Crockett and Opera/Jazz singer Lisa Dee are the core around which Evangenitals coalesced in a decrepit bowling alley in Highland Park, California. The rest, as they say, is history. In 2009, Evangenitals released their third album, an eponymous EP that mixes Jazz, Folk, Americana, Country, Rock and anything else Crockett and the band could scrounge up on the way to rehearsal.

Evangenitals opens with Hello, a tuneful, melancholy bit of Lo-Fi Americana. It's a pleasing opener, and singer/songwriter Juli Crockett is impressive. Crockett is off the beaten track with an earthy vocal style and a charming, enigmatic alto. Hard Luck follows, a dandy bit of songwriting with exquisite instrumental work. Work Song is a dirge-like paean to a life that never changes. Drudgery is offset by a sort of congenial comfort. Imagine They Might Be Giants on downers. So Sweet features a strong melody and a nicely interwoven arrangement, creating a sweet sound that will make you want to hit replay each time the song ends. On Bad Town, Evangenitals offers a humorous send-up of small town life doled out with dark irony in a tight Americana arrangement. Evangenitals close with I'm Sad, returning to the overtly melancholy Country style where they started. The musicality here is wonderful even if the approach is a bit more Lo-Fi than you might initially expect, and Crockett captivates with a Lo-Fi approach ala Margo Timmins.

Evangenitals might slide off your radar at first blush if you're not careful. What sounds pleasant and innocuous on first listen blooms into complex subtleties and undertones as you listen more and more. This is a band you have to work a little to get, but the effort is well rewarded. Evangenitals is surprisingly accomplished, and I won't be a bit surprised if the band just keeps getting better.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Evangenitals at www.evangenitals.com or www.myspace.com/evangenitals. You can purchase the Evangenitals EP as either a CD or demonically priced Download via CDBaby.com.

Review: Tiny Little Blackouts - Idea Of Alice

Tiny Little Blackouts - Idea Of Alice
2009, Robot123 Records

San Francisco's Tiny Little Blackouts slip through the cracks of your mind with a low-key style reminiscent of Mazzy Star or The Cowboy Junkies. Vocalist/guitarist Cameron Ember has only been playing guitar for a couple of years, but shows an ability to craft songs of significant emotional and intellectual weight with melodies that compel. Tiny Little Blackouts just formed in 2009, and have already released their debut album, Idea Of Alice.

Idea Of Alice opens with the laid-back Lamb44; a somewhat dissociative yet compelling song. Ember has a lovely voice; lyric with enough mature alto in the sound to lend it some weight. Wrecking Ball maintains the imperturbable countenance of Tiny Little Blackouts, dashed with healthy doses of angst and need. The arrangement is full of sound but unimaginative. Cherry Blossom is obtuse and difficult to follow. The energy here is a tough sell as well. Ditto Angry Santa, which relies on strong arrangement and a pleasant vocal line from Ember, but the two mix with less-than-exciting results.

Lamb68 takes a slightly different sonic path than the opening track, although the essential melody and effects don't change. The song is nice enough, but substantially similar to the original version that opens the album. You're Too Nice plods as it cajoles, bringing minds together if not hearts. Tiny Little Blackouts close with Winter In Our Hearts, Cameron Ember's best vocal performance on the album. The lyrics are full of imagery that runs toward the indecipherable.

Cameron Ember has a pleasant voice and Tiny Little Blackouts are about as tight as they come instrumentally. Working together to blend their styles and sounds has come a long way, but it’s still a work in progress. Tiny Little Blackouts are an intriguing band with a lot of possibilities. The low-key musical approach can work, but the energy within the songs can't be low key. Give Tiny Little Blackouts a try!

Rating: 3 Songs (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Tiny Little Blackouts at www.myspace.com/tinylittleblackouts or http://www.tinylittleblackouts.com/. You can purchase Idea Of Alice as either a CD or Download from CDBaby.com.

Review: The Midnight Kites - The Color Of Light

The Midnight Kites - The Color Of Light
2010, The Midnight Kites

The family that plays together stays together. If that old maxim is true, then Bruce (guitar) and Jill McDougall (vox) should have a nice long life together. The fact that they play together so well as the core of Denver's The Midnight Kites is a bonus. Add in Connor DeFehr (bass and brother of Jill McDougall) and Dave Farmer on drums, and you have a glorious crossroads where Rock, Pop, Country and Folk meet. Jill McDougall's sweet alto voice and mellow demeanor will recall for listeners Margo Timmins (Cowboy Junkies) or even Natalie Merchant in her early days with 10,000 Maniacs. The Midnight Kites greeted 2010 with their debut album, The Color Of Light, released on New Year's Day.

The Color Of Light opens with Green Eyes, an ethereally swarthy Pop tune full of contented longing. Set in a sparse arrangement peppered with just the right filler, The Midnight Kites seem equally comfortable with sound and silence. Proving that sometimes less is more, Jill McDougall gives an enthralling performance on Falling Is Healing, coloring the melancholy musical reflection with love and longing seen through the complications of day-to-day life. My One Wish intrigues with its mellow feel with an angst-filled energy lying just beneath the surface. The song is driven by an energy that could have come from an early Police tune, with DeFehr channeling Stewart Copeland throughout.

Caution To The Wind is a thing of beauty, between Jill McDougall's plaintive alto and a haunting cello solo, all set against a simple arrangement that's as fetching as it is sparse. The Midnight Kites take an intriguing turn with a highly unusual cover of Landslide consisting of Jill McDougal's vocals supported by nothing other than percussion. The concept may seem overly simply, but the execution is brilliant, with Farmer paralleling the harshness of life in a way you wouldn't imagine as a counter to the heartbreak and resignation in the vocal line. The Midnight Kites take us for a wonderful ride through the Americana sounds of Storybook and Coyote on the way to the haunting Sungate. I'm not quite sure what the reference of the song is, but there is an incompleteness implied in the lyrics suggesting a trial that is still occurring. The song is a beauty even it its meaning is hard to decipher. The Color Of Light closes with the most Pop-oriented song yet. Swimming Naked has real potential for the licensing world; I wouldn't be at all surprised to see this song picked for TV or even a movie soundtrack. It's a song about living without inhibitions or fear, written around a brilliant hook with subtle, intelligent lyrics and a melody that won't quit.

Husband/wife duos have a mixed track record at times, in part because such a group often relies on harmony between the two, while great songwriting often relies on a certain amount of conflict when more than one writer is involved. That being said, whatever The Midnight Kites are doing works. Bruce McDougall's minimalist approach on guitar dovetails beautifully with Jill McDougall's haunting voice, and both are held in counterpoint to the sharp and energetic rhythm section of Connor DeFehr and Dave Farmer. The Color Of Light presents a consistent sound full of energy and life, and a sound driven as much by the spaces between notes as the notes themselves. This is a thrilling debut. I, for one, can not wait to hear what comes next.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Midnight Kites at www.myspace.com/themidnightkites or http://www.midnightkites.com/, where you can purchase The Color Of Light as a CD, Download or combo package directly from the band.

Review: The Fools - Lost And Found

The Fools - Lost And Found
2009, The Fools

The Fools began their life together as soccer teammates at Rutgers University. Cleveland, Ohio's Jen Tobin (vox/guitar) and Tacoma, Washington's Uchenna Bright (bass) have a unique sound in the neighborhood of Tracy Chapman singing lead with Mazzy Star; mellow dramatics set to gentle acoustic/folk arrangements fill your ears with comforting sounds on The Fools' debut album, Lost And Found, release in June of 2009.

Lost And Found opens with Lullaby, beginning in the mellow tones of Mazzy Star or The Cowboy Junkies, but quickly adding an urgency that belies the gentle nature suggest by the song title. The Great Whale and Cosmic Love both falter under a lethargic feel. A Good Day finds The Fools raising the ante a bit with an upbeat hand-clapper you'll get into. For My Mother is a deeply introspective and warm tune that suffers from the extreme low-end approach to Lost And Found, but till somehow works in its own right. Part of the charm of The Fools is their low-key delivery, but it also becomes something of a curse. Between the melancholy performance style and the low-energy interpretations, The Fools run the risk of boring some listeners. Songs such as Even Fools Know, Folly and Lonely Days are more than just words and notes thrown together, but the homogeneous nature of the songs on Lost And Found will ultimately lead many listeners to give up on The Fools before they get through the whole album. If you check out The Well or The Song We Sang, consecutive tracks on the album, you may be hard pressed as first listen to tell them apart.

The Fools simply play it too safe to succeed on Lost And Found. Fair poetry is blended with strong musicianship and a pseudo-depressive affect to fuel The Fools' sound on Lost And Found. There is some good stuff here, but you might have to dig through the chaff to get there.

Rating: 2 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Fools at www.myspace.com/thefools_lostandfound, where you can purchase a copy of Lost And Found.

Review: Lee Harvey Osmond - A Quiet Evil

Lee Harvey Osmond - A Quiet Evil
2009, Latent Recordings

Toronto singer/songwriter Tom Wilson has been associated with some exciting projects over the years, starting out with his tenure as lead singer for the band Junkhouse in the mid-1990's. Since that time he's recorded as a soloist, in conjunction with Bob Lanois and as a member of Blackie And The Rodeo Kings. Now, at the tender young age of fifty, Wilson is embarking on a new life as lead singer of Lee Harvey Osmond. Joined by members of Canadian groups Cowboy Junkies and Skydiggers, Wilson brings to life 10 brooding Americana/Rock tunes on A Quiet Evil. Produced by Cowboy Junkies' Michael Timmins and released on the band's Latent Recordings, A Quiet Evil is one of the more intriguing debuts of the year.

Lee Harvey Osmond opens with The Love Of One, a quiet-yet-energetic country flavored rumination on loneliness chock full of mournful pedal steel guitar and incredibly tight musicianship. This song is the perfect example of how music can be quiet and lively at the same time. Cuckoo's Nest drops the names of Elvis Presley, Sonny Liston, Madonna and Robert Mitchum, but has the up-close-and-personal feel of a Lou Reed track. Cuckoo's Nest is a nuanced and intelligent story song about hard times and how people survive. Wilson talk/sings his way through this one in what ends up sounding like a highly allegorical autobiography in song. Queen Bee has great energy and instrumental work; the vocal line gets a little bogged down in repetition but quickly gives way to the fine instrumental work of Lee Harvey Osmond.

I'm Going To Stay That Way is a classic country love song/tragedy. Suzie Vinnick's vocal on the duet is exquisite, and mixes well with Wilson's mumbling style. I'm Going To Stay That Way is a song that could go directly to Country Radio, although it would have been a more likely hit a generation ago. Lucifer's Blues is a great listen, although I half expected it to blow up into a heavier sound before it was done (it did not). The understated arrangement and delivery works very well, however. Parkland has a catchy melody and rhythm in spite of the reserved sound, and then something magical happens on Summer Girl. The same quiet feel surrounds this song, but there's a feel of authenticity about the story Wilson tells here that's too rich to be cure creation. The arrangement is highly simplified; giving the sort of life to the story and melody line that can't be planned but just happens in the creation process sometimes. Angels In The Wilderness has a similar feel in spite of the more melancholy bearing of the song. It's a beautiful melody with stirring imagery; a hidden gem. Lee Harvey Osmond closes out with the upbeat acoustic rocker I Can't Stand It, a paean to the ability of love to make day-to-day life more bearable, and how it can all come crashing on you when they leave. It's a fun song that's likely to get worked up even more on stage.

Lee Harvey Osmond isn't going to blow too many people away, unless it's on pure talent. This isn't that sort of band. Instead, expect Lee Harvey Osmond to take a lot of people by surprise. A Quiet Evil is the sort of album where you hear a song in the background and don't pay attention at first; but the music slowly draws you out and draws you in. It's not surprising given the musical stock the band rose from, and Wilson, in spite of his quiet approach, definitely has an ability to connect with listeners. A Quiet Evil is highly enjoyable; it might take you a few listens to really get it, but once you get it you'll be hooked.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Lee Harvey Osmond at www.myspace.com/lhosmond or www.latentrecordings.com/leeharveyosmond. You can purchase A Quiet Evil on CD from Amazon.com.

Review: The Blue Seeds - The Blue Seeds

The Blue Seeds - The Blue Seeds
2008, L-Abe

Montreal’s The Blue Seeds are led by the eclectic and mystifying voice of Amelie Laflamme who brings to life the songs of songwriter Francois Dufault. The ensemble has a highly unique and catchy sound that can be found on their debut album, The Blue Seeds. Originally released in 2008 in Canada, The Blue Seeds saw an October, 2009 release in the U.S.

The Blue Seeds open with the slinky Barcelona, a song full of longing and desire. Vocalist Amelie Laflamme has an eclectic sound that's something of a cross between Norah Jones and Hope Sandoval, and Dufault's guitar work helps to create a desperate, lost feeling that fuels the song. Outside The Rain Falls has an almost Country feel to it, played in dark minor keys. Laflamme is entrancing, filling out the sound with a voice that wiggles its way inside your brain and sets up camp for a long stay. The dark Country/Americana feel sticks around for Lost Highway, another dark and vaguely disturbing musical landscape fueled by repressed surf guitar. A Killing In Art sounds like a Mazzy Star outtake, both instrumentally and vocally.

On Lost And Delirious, Laflamme gives up her best vocal performance on the album. The song is languorous and is stretched a bit thin here but is otherwise very well done. My Fair Weather Friend takes on a gentle Blues/Rock feel, blended with the nearly ambient vocals The Blue Seeds seem comfortable with. It's a pleasant listen but doesn't really stand out. The same can be said for Black Birds, a song filled with mournful country guitar accents that get a little bogged down in its own pacing. The Blue Seeds say goodnight with the distant and disaffected I Dreamed A Little Dream, a song of emotional division and separation disguised as a hopeful tune.

The Blue Seeds have a distinctive sound that's somewhere between Mazzy Star and The Cowboy Junkies. When everything clicks The Blue Seeds sound glorious in their melancholy, but the energy level flattens out at times and the pacing of the album will lose some listeners. Laflamme has a distinctive voice that is instantly recognizable once you've heard it, and the musicianship is decidedly above average. Take The Blue Seeds for a spin and see how they fit you.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Blue Seeds at http://www.theblueseeds.com/ or www.myspace.com/theblueseeds. You can purchase a copy of The Blue Seeds as either a CD or Download from CDBaby.com.

Review: The Erin Hobson Compact - Talk Radio

The Erin Hobson Compact - Talk Radio
2009, Choking Chicken Records

Erin Hobson has been bubbling under on the Indie Scene for a number of years. Critics love her, but widespread notoriety has yet to follow for the Rhinebeck, NY singer/songwriter. I suspect that’s all about to change with Talk Radio, Hobson’s latest project with her band, The Erin Hobson Compact. Top-rate musicianship, strong songwriting and a voice that’s unforgettable make this album a winner all around.

Hobson opens with the title track, displaying a clear, sweet voice and a gentle Pop-Americana style. Talk Radio hints at the tendency of people to differentiate themselves even when they aren't, whether through white lies, games or simple errors of omission. It's a strong tune; well and intelligently written with a great melody. Brick Wall is a fairly deep examination of the cooling of emotion over time in a relationship, with the object being both a buttress and a symbol of the loss. It's another great melody and another intelligently written tune that speaks on several levels to both the loving and lovelorn. Too Late is the story of someone fighting against their own human nature and their own base moments. It's a moderately upbeat tune with distinct sense of melancholy and a melody that melts into your ears.

Crash maintains the melancholic sensibility that pervades Talk Radio; taking on those moments when the world falls in around us. Hobson's voice is beautiful in anticipation of tragedy, and once again the melody is divine. Hobson kicks things up a notch with the honky-tonk Divide. Hobson is affable and sweet in a tune that decries ambivalence, but the real stars of this tune are her band, who inject a whole new level of life and energy into the song with some really hot instrumental work. Far From Home is a song of emotional survival sung in dulcet tones; it's introspective and self-possessed and thoroughly intriguing.

Passing Through is a plaintive tune full of self-doubt and misdirection. There's a sense that the narrator doesn't quite know where she's going but wants to get there as soon as she can, and an internal tension at this crux. It's a gorgeous melody and a fairly simple arrangement that's almost elegant in its plain state. Holding On is a musical realization, diary-style that the relationship she's in isn't what she might have hoped. The song expresses fear and excitement of a new road as well as the coming of tears at the loss. What starts out as a song of melancholy turns into one of joy. Hobson closes out with Leave The Light On, which might serve as a sort of epilogue to Holding On. It's a hedge that perhaps the newfound sense of freedom is a false one. Hobson harmonizes here, creating an enthralling sound against the backdrop her band creates.

The Erin Hobson Compact is a small town band with a sound that's anything but. Ensconced in melancholy, Americana and gentle Pop, it's as if Natalie Merchant, Lisa Loeb and Margo Timmins sat down and tried to create together. Hobson's band is first class, and her voice is a thing of beauty to behold. Talk Radio is brilliantly polished and ultimately listenable. Don't be surprised if Hobson's is a name you're very familiar with a few years from now. Get on the train now while there are still seats.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Erin Hobson Compact at http://www.erinhobsoncompact.com/ or www.myspace.com/erinhobson. You can purchase Talk Radio as either a CD or Download from Amazon.com.

Review: Kirsten DeHaan - Thorns On A Crown

Kirsten DeHaan - Thorns On A Crown
2009, SirLady Records

Kirsten DeHaan is one of the most fiercely independent artists on the Indie music scene. With a firm belief in artists owning their own music, DeHaan started the New York Indie Rock Launch in 2006; a show intended to bring the best of New York City's Indie Rock scene together under one roof. The shows have continued since then with entirely grass-roots promotion and sell out every time. DeHaan also regularly performs for US troops abroad via webcast and continues to support Indie music however she can. Recently re-locating from Brooklyn to Woodstock, NY, DeHaan has released her latest CD, an EP entitled Thorns On A Crown. Thorns On A Crown features a raw, personal approach that is a fresh turn for DeHaan.

DeHaan opens with 1984, a low-key rocker with an understated, Cowboy Junkies feel. DeHaan has an interesting voice that ranges from a throaty alto to an electric, rocker-girl sound in her upper register. Double Or Nothing is a funky rocker with seriously strong guitar work. I didn't enjoy the song itself a great deal but the individual components are strong. I'm Coming Home is the most personable and edgy track on the disc. This is the sort of music I'd want to hear in a coffee shop or small, intimate venue. DeHaan displays real personality in her music, but may be a bit too far off the beaten track for some. DeHaan closes out with Ms. Daisy, a decent track that didn't really ring any bells but wasn't bad either.

Kirsten DeHaan puts in a solid effort on Thorns On A Crown. Her style and sound are personal and personable, but there's something funny going on in the energy here. The songwriting itself is fairly average, although DeHaan ups her game by throwing herself into each song. Thorns On A Crown is likable, but it doesn't really grab you.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Kirsten DeHaan at http://www.kdlocal.com/ or www.myspace.com/kirstendehaan. You can download Thorns On A Crown from Amazon.com.

Review: Car Stereo Wars - For Your Comfort And Safety

Car Stereo Wars - For Your Comfort And Safety
2008, Greg Records

Car Stereo Wars started out as a college trio in their native Australia, playing primarily Chillout/Pop, even landing songs one two different Ministry Of Sound compilations. Over time Car Stereo Wars sought a broader creative palette from which to create, mixing Trip-Hop and Electronica into their tasty Folk/Rock hybrid. It's done well for them thus far, with songs placed in commercials for Dell Computers and Tic Tac Chill. Their latest creative effort, For Your Comfort And Safety contains eleven songs of down-tempo, celestial rock featuring the entrancing vocals of Alyssa Doe and the occasionally Americana-colored guitar work of Matt Gilman.

Car Stereo Wars kicks things off with Smooth, a lush, layered, hypnotic pop song that brings to mind some of Sarah McLachlan's arrangements circa Fumbling Towards Ecstasy. Alyssa Doe's voice is velvety smooth with an earthy timber, not so much soaring above the music as becoming an integral part of it. Broken runs like a commentary; like personal thoughts about the day’s events from a vantage point perhaps no one has. The song is pleasantly fantastical, almost as if sung by a benevolent peeping Tom. Come To Nothing gets a little more heavily into gilded Electronica. Doe manages to keep some dynamic range in spite of the increasingly claustrophobic arrangement. Alone is a lush lover's dream, casting off the world to revel in the magic of love. The arrangement is pleasing without making a lasting impression.

My personal favorite track on the disc is Low Rise, a down-tempo yet catchy Electronic Pop tune. The chorus in particular will stick in your mind well after the song is done. Down is presented in a lush and variable arrangement that rests heavily on Trip-Hop and Jazz. It's one of the more intriguing compositions on the disc and one that would be most enjoyable to hear stripped down to simple acoustic instrumentation. Little Alarm is a brief interlude down in the style of Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells and leads into the closing track, For Your Comfort And Safety. This is a song that sounds like it wants to be a country tune but doesn't have the heart to commit. The arrangement is more organic than anything else on the album, relying primarily on acoustic guitar and voice. The setting fits Doe's voice very well, and sonically this is the most pleasing song on the disc.

Car Stereo Wars play in a slightly different genre, but have the same laid back aesthetic of The Cowboy Junkies. For Your Comfort And Safety is aptly titled; it's a very pleasant listen with some strong moments, but never really takes any risks along the way. Nevertheless, the songwriting and musicianship are good enough to escape mediocrity, and Alyssa Doe is a joy to listen to. In the end, it's a bit more repressed than I'd hoped for, but still a strong effort.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Car Stereo Wars at www.myspace.com/realcarstereowars or http://www.carstereowars.com/, where you can purchase a copy of For Your Comfort And Safety using PayPal. You can also purchase the album digitally through iTunes.

Review: Lillie Lemon - Nobody To Thank

Lillie Lemon - Nobody To Thank
2008, Core Reality Productions

Lake Sheboygan, Wisconsin is a small town where being local still matters. That's why no matter how much she travels or tours, it's always Lake Sheboygan Lillie Lemon returns to. After teaming up with guitarist/co-songwriter Dave Durian in 2008, Lemon knew she had found someone with whom she had the right musical chemistry to write songs with. Their combined efforts make up Lillie Lemon's debut CD, Nobody To Thank. Lemon has a following of devoted fans called "Lemonheads" and a strong local network of fans, businesses and charitable organizations that have supported her and that Lemon continues to support, but as Lemon begins to look at the larger horizons for her music the future is uncertain.

Lemon kicks off Nobody To Thank with Water's Edge, a melancholic Folk/Rock tune with a minimalist bent and a stark sound. Lyrically the song is adrift, relying on repetition and short-range symbolism. To a lesser degree, It Was OK falls into a similar trap, with Lemon delivering verses that sound somewhat improvised and a chorus that repeats ad nauseum. Sinking improves Lillie Lemon's lot, coming off as a slow tune ala Edie Brickell. Home Road hits a more structured note; a fuzzy bit of Americana with a decent melody. Nobody To Thank continues in the vein of melodic melancholy thus far established with the title track. Fans of the Cowboy Junkies who always wished they'd go for a less polished sound will love Lillie Lemon, as the fuzz factor is still here in the guitar, but the downtrodden, mellow vocal style will strike real similarities to that of Margot Timmons.

Texlahoma Story is the clearest display yet of one the idiosyncrasies of Lille Lemon's voice. Her relationship with pitch at times is spurious; Although Lemon is never wholly out of tune she does appear at times to hear her own internal accompaniment. This is most notable in the latter part of phrases. The result is a bit harmonic dissonance that can be jarring for the listener. Lyrically, Lemon keeps things simple, sticking with conversation prose, almost as if she's transcribed journal entries on sheet music and chosen to sing them. The result is a collection of songs that vary in sound from pretty to nearly-falling-apart that lack any real emotional intensity. The Professor Song offers up a caricature of a young woman with boundary issues and little in the way of subtlety going for her. There isn't enough here lyrically to make the character real; just a few repeated lines that outline in brief what might be a fascinating story in music if it were told. Nobody To Thank closes out with Be Still, perhaps the best songwriting work on the album.

The stars just never align for Little Lemon on Nobody To Thank. Musically, the album never quite rises about Open-Mic Night at the coffeehouse material. Vocally, Lemon is passable but does have real issues with pitch (ala Edie Brickell) and the songs just don't have much to keep listeners coming back. Lemon has nice tone in her voice at times, but there just isn't a lot here that would make Nobody To Thank stand out in Indie Rock circles. There are folks out there that enjoy this sort of homogeneous, melancholic drone-rock, but even among that demographic this disc just might not make it.

Rating: 1.5 Star (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Lillie Lemon at http://www.lillielemon.com/ or www.myspace.com/littlelemon. You can purchase a copy of Nobody To Thank at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/lillielemon.

Review: Jets Overhead - No Nations

Jets Overhead - No Nations
2009, Vapor Records

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada's Jets Overhead returns with their sophomore album, No Nations, the follow-up to 2006's Bridges, which earned the band a Juno nomination as "New Group of the Year". Produced by 54-40's Neil Osborne (the guy who wrote I Go Blind; made famous in the US by Hootie & The Blowfish); No Nations has a cinematic modern rock texture that fits perfectly with the band's tendency to create scene-heavy videos. Jets Overhead has already received attention from KCRW (Los Angeles) and WXPN (Philadelphia) for No Nations, and the masses can't be far behind.

No Nations opens with I Should Be Born, a mid-tempo, mellow rock tune with a big, layered sound and an insular vocal approach reminiscent of The Cowboy Junkies' Margo Timmons. This is the sort of mellow rock than can explode into a big sound on the concert stage, and vocalist Antonia Freybe-Smith sounds like she has a lot more power and texture than comes across here. Heading For Nowhere features Adam Kittredge on vocals with Freybe-Smith on harmony. The melody here is very strong and works well in this straight up rock arrangement. The chorus in particular is the sort that you sing along with the first time you hear it. Weathervanes (In The Way) soars on the same melodic highways and byways of old Alan Parsons tunes; the harmonies constructed within the song are nothing short of gorgeous.

Sure Sign is a pleasant listen but gets so stuck in its own chorus it can wear on the listener after a while. Freybe-Smith returns to the forefront on Time Will Remember; perhaps my favorite song on the disc. The musical aesthetic is still largely quiet and reserved but there's a lot of life underneath where guitar, piano, bass and percussion intermingle. Always A First Time carries a delicious mix of optimism and melancholy, all wrapped into amazing vocal harmonies and a simple yet positive arrangement. No Nations wraps up with Tired Of The Comfort, using the same mix of lush harmonies and melodies that get stuck in your aural canal to create a mellow yet moving listening experience.

No Nations took a few listens to really get into, but now I don't want to take it out of the CD player. It's a quietly compelling album, chatting you up with nuances deep and varied, slipping in melodies that keep you on the line and shut you down with harmonies you can't resist. Jets Overhead have created not just an album in No Nations, but a listening experience.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Jets Overhead at http://www.jetsoverhead.com/. You can purchase a copy of No Nations through Amazon.com. Downloads can be purchased from Amazon MP3 or iTunes.

Review: Diana Catherine & The Thrusty Tweeters - The Spirit Ranch Sessions

Diana Catherine & The Thrusty Tweeters - The Spirit Ranch Sessions
2009, Diana DiGiovanni

Toronto's Diana Catherine & The Thrusty Tweeters want to take you on a trip. Rock, Blues and Country will be meted out in the appropriate portions as you travel down the dusty trail of Catherine's muse on the band's debut album, The Spirit Ranch Sessions. Musical gypsies; delightful enablers of the terpsichorean muse; whatever you wish to call them, Diana Catherine & The Thrusty Tweeters will delight you eleven songs full of toughness, vulnerability and panache.

The Spirit Ranch Sessions were recorded at the aptly named Spirit Ranch in Florida in 2008; produced by Bud Snyder (The Allman Brothers) and Matt Blackie (also the drummer). The album has a little bit of everything. Diana Catherine plays guitar and harmonica in addition to singing duties, and is joined by Kevin Robinson on guitar, Nic DiSanto on bass in addition to Blackie. The Spirit Ranch Sessions opens with Walk; part honky-tonk and Americana and a real pleasure to start things off. The arrangement is reserved enough to allow Catherine room to roam on the vocal line and she makes a great first impression. Sober (Is Too Hard To Stay) will give you an idea of what might happen if Kirsty MacColl ever embraced country music. Travelin' Man is one of those songs that is so familiar the first time you hear it you'll swear it's a cover, but it's not. There are some turns in the chorus that are reminiscent of Neil Young however, but the song is very well written and well performed.

Long Road breaks out some Lynyrd Skynyrd southern rock but sticks to an understated ethic ala Cowboy Junkies. Things slow down a bit on the second half of the disc. Train Song stands out as the beacon of the second half of the disc and is probably the best song on the whole disc. Lucinda was a pleasant listen, but songs like Last Dance, 4 Leaf Clover and Drifting just felt a bit bland after the first half of The Spirit Ranch Sessions.

Diana Catherine & The Thrusty Tweeters have embraced a sound that mixes the genteel side of Americana with Southern Rock; when they're on they're really on. The first half of The Spirit Ranch Sessions is very strong, but the disc gets a bit bland as it progresses, leaving a brilliant 5 or 6 song EP stretched out to an above average but slipping at the end full-length LP. Diana Catherine has a unique blend of toughness and vulnerability to her voice that will guarantee listeners and the band is quite good instrumentally, so I suspect this is not the last we'll be hearing from them. Put Diana Catherine & The Thrusty Tweeters on your "to-listen" list.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Diana Catherine & The Thrusty Tweeters at www.myspace.com/dianassound or http://www.dianacatherine.com/. You can purchase a copy of The Spirit Ranch Sessions at House Of Bands

Review: The Owle Bird - The Absence Of

The Owle Bird – The Absence Of
2008, Muddled Shoe Records

The Owle Bird’s biography simply states “The Owle Bird is a strange machine…” The Toronto quintet brings one of the more unusual sounds as they delve experimentally into incorporeal soundscapes and poetry. Comprised of Lisa Conway (vox, piano); Dan Stadnicki (drums); Cory Latkovich (cello); Tony Wallace (violin) and Jordan Howard (guitar), The Owle Bird finds musical solace on the far periphery of musical pop culture. The Owle Bird’s debut album, The Absence Of, was released in 2008 and is truly something to behold.

The Owle Bird lives in a world of structured chaos. Dissonance and conflict are equal partners with harmony on The Absence Of. The album opens with When You Became Ill/Old Man The Gravedigger, a meandering nine minute composition that plays like a dramatic funeral dirge that turns into a somehow hopeful yet demented musical monologue. Lisa Conway surfs the subdued cacophony of sounds with an amazing voice that mixes elements of Fiona Apple, Briana Corrigan and Margo Timmons. Machines is a similar construct, with the arrangement representing a rather messy, perhaps real-life picture and Conway providing the melodic seam that holds it all together.

Because of the bleak soundscapes, there is a strongly depressive or at least melancholic feel to The Absence Of. Oh How I Miss The City is a prime example, sounding like a soliloquy from a Broadway show in purgatory. The song stays away from some of the heavy dissonance of previous compositions on the album, but maintains a dark and foreboding sound that occasional gives way to passages of hopeful yet cynical light. Jewelled Beasts stays with this more lyric sound but retains the dark underbelly that seems to run through all of the songs The Owle Bird presents here.

The highlight of the album is Monsters, a musical bloodletting of childhood fears in a disturbing orchestral arrangement that grows from a pizzicato base (perhaps meant to indicate the creeping of the villains of the song). Lisa Conway particularly shines on Crows, opening in a trio of her voice, cello and violin that gradually extends to the full instrumentation of the band. The Last Hurrah is interesting. The song starts out as a quiet beauty, but there is a rhythmic under-life here that tells a different story. The drums tell a story that’s almost savage, perhaps from distant memory. This is The Owle Bird at their most prolific and melodic; having taken the near-chaos that pervades their music and pushing it down to a highly subtle and more compelling level.

The Owle Bird isn’t for everyone. Fans of New Classical dissonant styles will get a real kick out of this Chamber Folk/Rock hybrid. The band is incredibly tight and disciplined, particularly when creating sounds that may be unpleasant but lend to the overall atmosphere of a song. The tie that binds it all of course is Lisa Conway’s voice, an angelic overseer that brings sense and order to even the most disturbed and roiling passages. The Absence Of is compelling and original and highly recommended.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Owle Bird at www.myspace.com/owlebirds or http://www.muddledshoerecords.com/, where you can purchase a copy of The Absence Of.

Review: Jamie Lynn Hart - Jamie Lynn Hart [EP]

Jamie Lynn Hart - Jamie Lynn Hart
2008 Jamie Lynn Hart

Jamie Lynn Hart is one of the bright new stars in the Boston music scene, captivating crowds with her honey-hued voice. Hart has significant classical vocal training under her belt, but sings with an R&B/soul style that is unmistakably her own. In 2008, Hart released her debut EP, Jamie Lynn Hart, including five of her most popular songs. The Masters candidate in Music will embark on her first national tour in the spring of 2009 upon graduation.

Okay, get it out of your system.... Wow. Hart has an amazing voice. Its dark and heavy with more vibrato than you might be used to in pop music, but Hart will blow you away with her voice. The EP opens with Sassy, a funk-laden R&B tune that will invoke comparisons to Mary J. Blige. This song could be a hit on the radio right now without any changes. From the brash presentation of Sassy we step to a more introspective Hart on Illuminate. Hart's voice still has that heavy/dark quality on the slower material, meaning that ballads may not be her strong point. Hart's best sound is in the belting range. Summoned To Succumb is a ballad with a fine guitar/cello arrangement that allows Hart to let loose a little of the sweetness in her voice. Beautiful Minds has a Cowboy Junkies feel to it, and Hart manages to let go of the heaviness of her voice a bit more here until the chorus when all of that vibrato comes back. Hart closes out the EP with Brittle Nails, a country/pop hybrid that is pleasant but for which Hart's voice is just flat out too heavy for.

I love Jamie Lynn Hart's voice, and it works on some of the songs on her debut EP, but it’s just too much for others. The almost Wagnerian vibrato in her voice is intriguing and different in the pop world but inevitably becomes too much. When trained in classical singing styles it can be very difficult to transition from that sound to a rock voice. Hart writes intelligent and interesting songs and is an amazing performer, but the sound is going to ware thin for some listeners. Luckily, if you check her out on YouTube, it appears that heavy quality doesn’t come across in a live setting. So chock this one up to production, folks. Jamie Lynn Hart is definitely worth checking out.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Jamie Lynn Hart at www.myspace.com/jamielynnheartmusic. You can purchase Jamie Lynn Hart on CD through Amazon.com, or you can download a copy from iTunes.