Rachel Wagner - Untold

Rachel Wagner - Untold
2011, Rachel Wagner

Roseville, California singer/songwriter Rachel Wagner has a reputation for putting listeners at ease.  Wagner may take the stage in an auditorium or coffeehouse, but the atmosphere as if she’s sitting in your living room; telling stories to a good friend, guitar in hand.  Wagner’s third album, Untold, features her sweet, breath voice, her personal style, and winsome songs that walk the line between Sarah McLachlan, Enya and Joni Mitchell.

Wagner opens with "Untold", an ethereal ballad that nicely features her pretty, breathy soprano voice.  The cascading vocal harmonies build the song into a lovely sonic experience.  "Blackberries" is a song about thankfulness; this simple concept is explored in a complex arrangement that's pretty but certainly not what you might expect.  "She" is a water color in sound; Wagner paints with a musical brush, layering vocal parts to create amazing sounds in a song about a dreamer and the power of pretend.  "I Won't Be The One" is a lush, gorgeous statement of intent.  Fans of early Sarah McLachlan will dig the ethereal nature and layered sounds Wagner uses here.

"Hide And Seek" is a swaying number about finally being found.  Wagner's gorgeous arrangement builds the joy of the song like the blooming of a flower.  On "Something Happens", Wagner explores a reticence to give herself over to love.  When the breakthrough finally comes it is as a light, lilting them; pretty and pure.  Wagner ventures into the ether again for "Clean", before closing with the inspiring "Psalm 131".  Wagner's melody and lead vocal are pure beauty.  The interposing supporting vocals are a bit distracting however.  It's clear what Wagner was trying to attain here, but the song would play much cleaner with just her lead and the present instrumentation.

Rachel Wagner shines on Untold.  Even with a couple of mis-steps along the way, this is a very promising introduction to an artist who is a bit off the beaten path.  Wagner's penchant for musical imagery is unusual, as she bends and shapes notes and passages as a sculptor might shape clay.  Wagner's songs dance forth from a garden of beauty, capturing the essence and form of ideas that generally complement her lyrics very well.  This is an exciting start.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Rachel Wagner at http://www.rachelwagner.com/ or www.facebook.com/rachelwagnermusic.  Untold is available via Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available via iTunes.

Gilli Moon - The Stillness

Gilli Moon - The Stillness
2010, Warrior Girl Music

Gilli Moon started down the Indie Path ten years ago, when few knew what that meant. The Italian Born, Australian-raised Los Angeles resident started her own label, Warrior Girl Music, and has made a career not only of her own music but by producing and releasing the music of other prominent young artists. Along the way, Moon has released a number of highly-lauded albums on her own. 2010 sees Moon return with her sixth, The Stillness, a highly personal and melodic set of tunes about learning to live with yourself and the world around you.

The Stillness opens with "A Conversation With Me", a son of self-assurance and perspective. The song reflects a realization that we have all the tools within ourselves to become what we want to be. Moon's voice is lovely, blending textures and colors with tremendous tone and a soulful feel. "Be" is an idealist pop love song about giving yourself completely. Moon's performance here is splendid, but the spoken word/rap added messes with the song's mojo and sounds horribly contrived. "Outside In" explores intertwining your life with another in trite terms and has an almost whiney feel that seems to run counter to its message.

Moon takes on an R&B vibe on "The Stillness", a song of distinctive melancholy that revolves around a highly repetitive chorus. "Moon" goes for an ethereal air, recalling artists such as Enya or Maryen Cairns. Things get a bit surreal on "Days In November", a song of remembrance built in layered electronic instrumentation. While expecting some emotional content, the listener is greeted with a flat, low-energy recitation that is hard to square with the lyrics. "Moon" gets it right on "Cling On", stripping the arrangement down to herself and her guitar in one of the best performances on the album. Moon's style here is unaffected; pure communication in song via a simple and pretty melody line.

"Secret Of My Heart" shows a balladeer's touch in a song seeking truth and love. This sounds like the sort of song Celine Dion likes to claim for her own. "Silent Prophet" seeks the counsel of that still quiet voice that dwells in each of us, whatever you may choose to call it. This quiet moment of introspection opens into the final tune "I Can Touch The Sun". Moon closes on the same positive plane she opened with, emphasizing the melody line and vocal harmonies amidst scant instrumentation.

Gilli Moon has a very enjoyable voice what works best in open arrangements. When she sticks to this approach The Stillness shines. Moon appears to have embraced the post-genre ethic however, and some of the musical sidebars she takes here are less than optimal for her voice. On the whole, The Stillness is worth spending some time on. There may be an occasional song to skip, but her voice alone is worth the trip.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Gilli Moon at http://www.warriorgirlmusic.com/ or www.myspace.com/gillimoon. The Stillness is available on CD from Warrior Girl Music.  Amazon.com has the album as both a CD and Download.  Digital copies are available through iTunes.

Iona Leigh - Wild By Nature

Iona Leigh - Wild By Nature
2010, MG Music Ltd.

While born in Sydney, Australia, Iona Leigh grew up in the Scottish highlands, listening to her mother's new age music collection while living in spiritually communal eco-village. With comparisons to artists such as Loreena McKennitt and Deva Premal, Leigh is establishing herself as a significant new voice in new age music. Iona's most recent album, Wild By Nature, was produced by the legendary Medwyn Goodall and released on his MG Music Ltd. label during the spring of 2010. Leigh performs all vocals on the album and Goodall does everything else.

Wild By Nature opens with "Nature's Lament", featuring the poetry of William Wordsworth. Leigh's vocal line is gorgeous and Goodall's arrangement is brilliant, but at 7:38 the song does drone on a bit. "Elemental Spirits" has more of a new age/pop feel; it's a ballad to creation in its most primal forms from a spiritual perspective. The chorus works well, although the verses are a bit locked into form and repetitive. "Here And Now" is a gentle statement of metaphysical being; a declaration of being prepared to enjoy life's experiences in their fullest measure. It's a pretty song absent tension or contrast.

Leigh pays tribute to a British warrior-queen with "Queen Boadicea", recounting in artful terms the historical figure who led an uprising against the Roman army in 60-61 AD that led to Rome temporarily evacuating Britain. Leigh certainly owes some of her atmospherics here to Enya with a pop arrangement that sticks close to her new age roots. Leigh creates a musical mural of earth in naturalist terms with "Colour Of The Earth" recounting the seasons and creatures that make up the world as a series of interconnected thoughts. The arrangement and melody are pretty, and the passive narrative is contemplative in nature. The lack of a prime motivation or mover in the song may lose some listeners, however. "Visions For Life" encourages the sort of inner peace to be found in visions and dreams. It's something of a new age "Imagine" as done by Enya or Loreena McKennitt rather than Lennon.

Iona Leigh finds something like an edge on "Banish The Storm" in a gently volatile melody with dark undertones. It's by far the most intriguing melody and arrangement on the album and Leigh is inspired to open her voice up a bit more than normal here. "Banish The Storm" carries a positive message, but delivers it without the saccharine coating that often pervades new age music and philosophy. "Eyes Of The Soul" is a sweet love song that dances liberally on the border of cliché (and crosses the boundary once or twice). It's a sweet number that is perhaps a bit too gentle to make it as a pop ballad but has all the necessary elements lyrically and melodically. "Ocean Of Dreams" borrows from the Brookstone sound catalog at opening but subsides into a musical whitewash of synthesizer sounds beneath the comely voice of Iona Leigh. Leigh invests the song with a sense of peace that pervades the album as a whole even while the energy of the song seems stuck on auto at times. Wild By Nature closes with the Gregorian Chant-like "Prayer For Trees", an ethereal and lovely tune that's more of a prayer of thanks to trees than for them. It's Leigh's most affecting vocal performance of the album.

Iona Leigh certainly has the voice to be a major player in new age music. I don't believe there's anyone out there who will question Medwyn Goodall's credentials when it comes to new age music either. Together they create pretty works that sound great but lack any real spice or zeal. Leigh's voice is lovely, but that beauty comes at the price of lacking zest or zeal in the performance. It's not a question of whether such things are there, but whether anyone listening at home can tell. Likewise, Goodall's arrangements are beautiful, but the chemistry that one presumes brought Leigh and Goodall together to write and perform Wild By Nature just doesn't translate on the album. Perhaps it shows up live, but it's apparent that Goodall was two involved in the creation of the album to hear it clearly as a producer. What could be striking is merely pretty; what could be dynamic is rendered plain.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Iona Leigh at http://www.ionaleigh.com/ or www.myspace.com/ionaleighmusic.  As of publication of this review, the only online outlet to purchase Wild By Nature is directly from Iona Leigh at her web store.

Review: Jessie Murphy In The Woods - Eight Belles

Jessie Murphy In The Woods - Eight Belles
2009, Rex Records

Sometimes you get into the middle of the recording process and simply realize the sound isn't working for you. That's what happened to Jessie Murphy, then a Masters in Music candidate at Columbia University in New York City. She approached two classmates, Marcia Wood (Wurlitzer, flute, clarinet, harmonica, pan pipes, vox) and Amy Wood (horn, cajon/percussion, flute, melodica, autoharp, vox) and asked them to come along for the ride, not realizing the instant chemistry they would find playing together. From the ruins of one project a primal force of Chamber Pop was born in Jessie Murphy In The Woods. The band has toured the UK (with a feature spot on Cambridge University Radio) and played dates all across the United States. Their first venture into recording together has resulted in Eight Belles, an EP that began making the rounds in mid-2009. Eight Belles holds the magic of a fairy tale and the promise of a troubadour, all wrapped up in the beautiful, gothic tapestry of music woven by Jessie Murphy In The Woods.

Eight Belles opens with New York City Lights, a love-song from Murphy to her constant companion and best friend, the city in which she lives. Murphy's voice is mesmerizing, and the harmonies coming from the Woods create moments so palpable they are almost frozen in time. In The Woods is a song about discovery that could be a metaphor for musical experience of the band, personal experiences, relationships, etc. The lost feeling perhaps implied by the title quickly slips away in the wake of a sense of wonder and an exquisite arrangement that's more Baroque than Pop. Owen Wilson uses a bit of humor to honor all those whose passion or talent drive them to the edge and beyond of societies expectations. When I Am A Horse Again is one of the more unusual musical allegories I've come across, recalling a perfect childhood moment and yearning for the sort of perfection we only know once. Written in a form of lyrical prose, When I Am A Horse Again is strong on imagery and may lose you if you try to get too analytical with the lyrics. Perhaps the biggest surprise on the disc is Eight Belles, a tribute to the horse who nearly took the Kentucky Derby away from Big Brown in 2008 until her ankles gave out. The horse was euthanized but gains immortality in a touching and beautiful song with a melody that's destined to be considered "traditional".

Jessie Murphy In The Woods is a serendipitous coming together of three musicians with singular voices who work together like The Muse's own instrument, creating magic each time they step on stage or in front of a microphone. If there's any basis for a Pop/Classical musical Renaissance, it will start with a band like Jessie Murphy In The Woods. The music presented on Eight Belles is innovative, beautiful constructed and has a distinct air of virtuosity about it. Welcome to the big dance, Jessie Murphy In The Woods. Before the night is over you might just be the belle of the ball.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Jessie Murphy In The Woods at www.myspace.com/jessiemurphyinthewoods, www.myspace.com/jessiemurphy or http://www.jessiemurphyinthewoods.com/. Presently there is no online availability of Eight Belles that I could locate, although if you contact Jessie Murphy In The Woods through their MySpace page I’m sure you can work something out.

Review: Jennings - Storybook [EP]

Jennings – Storybook [EP]
2009, No Sass Publishing

New York City based siren Mary Jennings is back with Storybook [EP], the follow-up to 2007’s Femtastic. Jennings shows significant musical maturation since Femtastic, with more balanced songwriting and a greater sense of where the song is going. I wish she had skipped the vocal enhancement software because voice is more than good enough to be heard without such effects. Storybook opens with Doorway, a song of time and place focusing on the distinct lack of movement between two people with more potential romance than actual. The plaintive piano part that drives the song seems to evoke the sense of waiting for the tide to change. Figure Me Out is a Paula Cole style confessional that has the same emotional edginess featured in Doorway. This one has a strong commercial feel without abandoning Jennings' singer/songwriter ethic. Hero shows some Tori Amos influence (ala Past The Mission). Jennings shows just how accomplished a story teller she is without getting too wordy or prosaic. The arrangement is perhaps a bit too predictable but overall it's a good listen.

Your Way has a nice ethereal setting, walking the line between Sarah McLachlan and Enya with a melody line that stands out from the textured vocal/instrumental arrangement. This is the most sonically interesting track on Storybook and would make the EP worth owning even if it were the only track. Jennings closes out Storybook with a song of raw devotion and commitment in Umbrella. The imagery is a bit on the simplistic side but the song is very sweet, with a rhythmic component that's as comforting as the message if not more so. Umbrella is an incredibly artful depiction of the state of mind of true love or friendship

Jennings has come along way in a short time as a songwriter. Her ability to take complex thoughts and emotions and place them in simple song structure without diluting the thoughts, feelings or moments they represent is distinctive. Her musical arrangements are strong and fitting and worthy of attention in the pop/rock realm. I have no doubt that down the line a few years she will hold significant respect not just from fans but other artists. On Storybook she is an artist who is Becoming, with significant talent and a distinctive style that is a pleasure to watch develop. Make sure you check this CD out.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Jennings at www.myspace.com/jenningsmusic or http://www.jennings-music.com/. You can purchase a copy of Storybook at www.cdbaby.com/cd/jenningsmusic4, or you can download the EP from iTunes.

Review: Wendy & Lisa - White Flags Of Winter Chimneys

Wendy & Lisa - White Flags Of Winter Chimneys
2008, Girl Bros.

Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman are consummate professionals. The childhood friends each the daughters of in-demand session musicians, and their work together over their career points to a love of quality music. The duo’s big break came in 1980, when Lisa Coleman was invited into Prince’s touring band. In 1983 she recommended her friend Wendy Melvoin as a replacement for a departing member. The Revolution was born, and for better or worse, Wendy & Lisa’s collective life has never been the same. These days Wendy & Lisa spend much of their professional energy scoring television shows such as NBC’s Heroes, Fox’ Virtuality and Showtime’s Nurse Jackie. Nevertheless, the duo found time to release White Flags Of Winter Chimneys in 2008. White Flags isn’t quite what you’d expect from the former heart and soul of The Revolution, but I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

White Flags Of Winter Chimneys opens with the ethereal Balloon, a haunting and lovely musical dream. More ambience than structure, Balloon is almost neurotically psychedelic. Invisible is a great mellow pop song with just a big of swagger to it. Invisible recollects an old relationship in a mix of longing and empowerment. Ever After retreats into the ambient nature found on Balloon in a song that deals with mortality and desire in unexpected ways. Salt & Cherries finds Wendy & Lisa breaking out of the mellow mold with the inspiration of MC5. The mix of Rock and Dance sounds matches the sexual tension in the lyrics in a song short on subtlety.

Niagra (sic) Falls is a mid-tempo rocker that is a pleasant listen that just seems to run short on energy. The ambient theme tries to sneak back in here but the big bass line drives it away like a breeze drives away the mist. You And I is a Moment. Listening to this song you hear Wendy & Lisa and all of the qualities that got them a recording contract in the first place: Gorgeous voices; inventive, heartfelt songwriting and a keen sense for melody. As I said, You And I is a Moment. I suggest you check it out and enjoy it. White Flags Of Winter Chimneys is a highly poetic watercolor in song. It's gorgeous but loses the energy that Wendy & Lisa have built up thus far. The album closes out with Sweet Suite (Beginning At The End), an eight-and-a-half minute composition in classical form mixing pop, classical and new age themes. Sweet Suite is in turns beautiful, maddening and boring. The next effect is positive, but it does drag significantly in places.

White Flags Of Winter Chimneys isn't so much a return to form for Wendy & Lisa as it is a new direction. Pop and rock elements mix with classical, new age and esoteric sounds to create new sounds and experiences. The songwriting itself is mixed, at times getting bogged down in time and heaviness of sound, but overall it's a positive experience. White Flags Of Winter Chimneys is recommended for fans of mellow rock, or esoteric easy listening folks such as Enya.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Wendy & Lisa at http://www.wendyandlisa.com/, where you can purchase a copy of White Flags Of Winter Chimneys in either traditional CD format or an expanded edition download (with four unreleased tracks).