The Lift - The Lift

The Lift – The Lift
2013, The Lift

The last we heard from actress/vocalist Amber Ojeda was her 2008, self-titled demo recording.  While impressed with her ‘dusky alto voice’, the material she was working on at the time was a hum-drum mix of pop and R&B that didn’t allow her to stand out.  Things have changed.  Ojeda has since had several songs placed on various television shows and has found commercial success in Japan with a light pop/R&B style.  Ojeda also recently began working with Davy Nathan (Christina Aguilera, Toni Braxton, Colby Callait, The X-Factor).  The duo, also known as The Lift has a decidedly different take on style when working together.  Their debut EP, The Lift, is due this spring.

Nathan brings out a darker side to Ojeda’s voice, and it is the breakout she needed.  Treading a fine line between the melancholic obsession of Mazzy Starr and the smooth pop sensibility of Norah Jones, Ojeda’s voice comes to desolate life over the five songs on The Lift. Desire and confusion create an emotional wasteland in “Lost In The Middle”, but Ojeda’s voice shines out of that darkness like a star.  “Why I Stayed” explores relationship detritus in song.  The exploration goes on perhaps a bit too long, but Ojeda’s vocals are strong, and Nathan’s arrangement enhances the sense of desolation the narrator feels.  “Make Me Believe” has a memorable melody, and Ojeda makes the most of it.  If it’s possible, the song is perhaps too deep in the emotional blue, but Ojeda and Nathan make it work in spite of this.

“Love Lost” laments a tendency to fall in love and get hurt.  There’s a certain, lonely beauty in this moment that Ojeda conjures from within.  The song itself runs a bit long, but the image it creates is stark and distinctly human.  The Lift closes with “In The Night”, a gorgeous exploration of loneliness.  The beauty here is in the sadness, carved from each note like a work of art.

The Lift manages to find beauty in heartbreak, sunshine in darkness, and warmth in the desolate landscape of loneliness.  Amber Ojeda is a revelation here, and Davy Nathan crafts wonderfully well-fit arrangements around her voice. If there is any room to improve here, it is in not belaboring the songs.  Several of the songs on The Lift overstay their welcome, and risk crossing the border from vibrantly dark and lovely performances into the outer reaches of monotony.  Finding a way to pare down without losing the image and element of the songs would complete the picture.

Rating:  4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more at www.wearethelift.com. 

Steph Barrak - Words To Break Your Heart

Steph Barrak – Words To Break Your Heart
2013, Steph Barrak

Steph Barrak is a rare gem.  The Boston-based indie singer/songwriter blends a poetic stream of consciousness lyrical style with an artful melodic sensibility and a distinctive pop pulse.  While Barrak’s desire to write and sing began at a young age, it wasn’t until her college years when she really began to play in public.  Her open mic appearances quickly turned into headline shows.  Barrak spent two years working with producer Mike Davidson to craft her sonic visions into the album Words To Break Your Heart.  The end result is stunning, beautiful and raw, with a living heartbeat you cannot ignore.

Barrak sets sail with “Connecticut”, an engaging take on a failed relationship written in two distinct musical movements.  She manages to come across as articulate and authentic in dissecting her own heartbreak without falling into stereotypical bouts of vitriol.  The catchy folk/pop arrangement will have your toes tapping, and seems like it should have some real commercial punch.  “Painted Face” is a quiet monologue about waiting for the winds to change.  She recognizes the relationship is over, but is waiting around just in case.  Barrak’s chorus is near-perfect, although the song does drag a bit at the end due to repetition.  “Robot” carries with a mild melancholy, written from the perspective of an automaton.  This could be interpreted as commentary on a relationship drifter who engages but never commits or taken at face value.  Either away it’s highly entertaining and musical.

With “Hardwired”, Barrak digs into an ear-friendly bit of 1970’s singer/songwriter panache.  There’s a bit of the melancholy of Mazzy Starr here, but Steph Barrak is pragmatically hopeful in her approach.  The song plays like a lullaby, and Barrak’s warm alto is the perfect salve.  “Fossil Tears” is a post-breakup monologue on the healing process that retains a glint of hope for the hopeless.  This quietly catchy number will get stuck in your grille and stay there.  “Oh Lo Lo” is a bit more pointed in style, with a relentless post-pop sensibility that pulls at the listener.  Here Barrak is focused on her inability to shake her former love.  It’s a nice tune that feels a bit stuck instrumentally, but that’s sort of the point.

There’s a sense of breaking free evident in “Natural Progression”.  This uplifting folk/pop number has a vibrant energy and a memorable melody, as the focus shifts from decay to transformation.  “Drift With It” is a down-tempo take on the same theme, an acknowledgement that things are falling apart.  The go with the flow feel runs all through the arrangement, and Barrak’s dulcet tones frame it all perfectly.  Once again she shows a flair for infectiously hooky choruses that get caught between your ears.  “The Way You Make Me Smile” would seem to be a turning point.  She’s come to peace with the process of decay, understanding its necessary based on the two actors in this little play.  Nevertheless, she tries to wring one last gasp from what was lost.  The mournful country guitar is a nice touch in communicating the mix of heartbreak and wistful hope found in this moment.  She falls back into an utter unwillingness to let go by song’s end.  This parallel of decay creates one of the loveliest sonic moments on the album, with a chorus that you’ll be humming to yourself for ages.

It’s hard to know whether “Married To A Robber” is a continuation of the story line or a jump start, but the former is as plausible as the latter.  Steph Barrak creates a true musical moment here, crafting the beauty of tragedy into musical stone (or is it the other way around?)  In any case, this is a masterful piece of songwriter.  Barrak winds things down with “Watch For Me”, a declaration of civil war, if you will.  She has finally found the words to match the feelings in her heart, and she is ready to fight.  The song carries the power of simple truths, evocatively turned out in a sparse musical arrangement.  What’s most intriguing is Barrak never offers the payoff.  We come to the brink of the final confrontation, but that moment is never revealed. 

You can argue the end of Words To Break Your Heart all you want, but the takeaway is that this is a compelling musical work that is worth arguing over.  Barrak lays her heart bare across eleven songs that convey the ambivalence of needing to get away yet needing to stay.  It’s not the conclusion that is the focus here, however; that is left to the listener’s imagination.  The journey is the thing.  Barrak’s songs are compositionally never more or less than what they need to be to complement the complicated emotions she conveys.  A relationship’s decay plays out to the precipice without closure, but either way you see that the narrator has grown.  Whatever comes, she’ll be okay.  So while we are left to wonder what is next for Steph Barrak, most anyone who hears Words To Break Your Heart will be anxious for the sequel.

Rating:  4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more at www.stephbarrak.com. 

Review: Molly Jenson - Maybe Tomorrow

Molly Jenson - Maybe Tomorrow
2009, Bully! Pulpit Records

Molly Jenson came to our attention because of her duet with Sherwood's Nate Henry on that band's Worn (from their debut album, Qu, which we reviewed here.) We were so intrigued by her voice we wrote Jenson and asked her to submit an album for review. We're apparently not the only ones impressed, as Jenson continues to wrack up the accolades. The 2007 “Best Acoustic Act” from the San Diego Music Awards was named by Teen Vogue one of the three best new artists on MySpace that same year. In 2008, Jenson’s song Give It Time was selected to be part of the Freshman Survival Kit, given to incoming college freshmen around the country. She also had songs selected from the soundtracks of NBC’s Knight Rider and the CW’s Privileged. Jenson kept the momentum rolling into 2009 with the release of her debut album, Maybe Tomorrow. With a growing fan base on three continents (North America, Europe and Asia), the sky’s the limit for Jenson.

Jenson has a voice that falls somewhere between Sarah Harmer and Chantal Kreviazuk; a pleasant sound with enough texture to make you sit up and listen more closely. She opens Maybe Tomorrow with Give It Time, a song of wisdom in a gentle but catchy pop arrangement. This is a great lead track and definitely has legs as a single. Beginning Here is a melancholy tune with a pleasant melody. Jenson's voice slides across the vocal line with an ease that's breathtaking. The texture and beauty of her voice are perfect for the song. Maybe Tomorrow finds Jenson in a magical moment full of hope, longing and vulnerability. All shine through in a solid pop song that's more powerful and subtle than you might think at first blush. Jenson hits a bit of Mix-Tape magic on Thinking Of You; a catchy, bouncy love song with an unforgettable chorus. The vocal harmony work here is a real treat; with the right breaks, Thinking Of You could be a major pop hit.

Jenson goes for a fingerpick waltz on And You Were, a love song that works without sounding mushy or cliché. It's a song about the perfect day with the perfect someone. We get a change of pace on The Edgy 8 Ball Song; big crunchy guitars and a Suzanne Vega style narrative about a run-in with an ex are the order of the day. It's a decent song, but definitely divergent from the album style to this point. Alongside You is another potential single; A song about the feeling that accompanies love where you feel like you can do anything as long as the appropriate person is by your side. Alongside You (Part 2) is a melancholy and turbulent epilogue complete with full orchestration. It's a pretty and intriguing contrast to the original song.

I'm Sorry For Me is a musical mea culpa of sorts; it almost sounds like unrequited love from the view of the one who can't return the feelings. The song is beautifully written and intelligent; full of disappointment and regret. Jenson is joined by Jon Foreman of Switchfoot in a great duet on Do You Only Love The Ones That Look Like You. The song wants to be a country tune; here it's presented in a mild Americana arrangement. Either way it's a great tune. Thank You My Friend is a Jazz/Pop hybrid in the style of Norah Jones. The dynamics here are great, and there's real licensing potential for this song. Jenson closes out in a flash of musical brilliance on Wait For You Here. The ultimate act of love can be patience, particularly in a relationship where one person needs time. This song displays patience without judgment, or foolishness, depending on your perspective. It's a nuanced, mature and beautiful piece of songwriting, whatever you think of the motives.

We requested Jenson submit her CD because of her voice; such things are always hit or miss. Luckily for us, Jenson turns out to be a first-class songwriter as well. Maybe Tomorrow is a brilliant debut, full of texture, nuance and honesty. The arrangements are well-done and each a perfect fit to the lyrics they are married to. Jenson herself is charming, with a voice you could listen to all day. Make sure you spend some time with Molly Jenson and Maybe Tomorrow. You'll be glad you did.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Molly Jenson at http://www.mollyjenson.com/ or www.myspace.com/mollyjenson. You can order Maybe Tomorrow from Amazon.com as either a CD or download. Downloads are also available from iTunes.

Review: The Postmarks - Memoirs At The End Of The World

The Postmarks - Memoirs At The End Of The World
2009, Unfiltered

The Postmarks are the band with a female lead singer with a boy’s name. Tim Yehezkely, born in Tel Aviv, has one of the more intriguing voices in popular music. Gorgeous in tone and detached in affect, Yehezkely stops listeners short as interest grows through awe to utter enthrallment. The Postmarks, rounded out by Jonathan Wilkins and Christopher Moll, delve into deeper, darker currents on their sophomore release, Memoirs At The End Of The World. This was a conscious choice by the band with a reputation for Cinematic Pop/Rock with a rough-hewn flavor, aiming for more realistic reflection of the world around them in their sound.

Memoirs At The End Of The World opens with a Moody Blues moment; the rock symphonic opening of No One Said This Would Be Easy is highly reminiscent of Justin Hayward & crew and the overall feel carries through the song. The satiny yet quirky vocals of Yehezkely fit perfectly in this dynamic. Thorn In Your Side is hauntingly understated and full of a fragile beauty. The vocal harmonies here are dressed in delicious minor keys, giving the song a mixture of bleak acceptance and hope that dance around each other like uncertain partners. The Postmarks get into a more New Wave/Electronica sound on Don't Know Till You Try, working in horns and spacey synth. The song is upbeat and catchy but still has a dark tenor to it that makes for a vague discomfort in the listener.

All You Ever Wanted brings an eastern influence to the album, with vaguely Japanese sounding instrumentation and a plaintive folk/Electronica bed accented by horns and faux strings. The song is catchy yet smooth; a mild Pop radio threat. Run Away Love continues with the minor key beauty in a slightly off-kilter waltz that's part proposal and part confrontation. There is more tension beneath this one-minute interlude than meets the eye, as implied in the rough industrial dulcimer styling of For Better... Or Worse? There's a dark rebellious heart to this song that comes with holding on to forbidden love, but the undertones suggest the narrator knows that perhaps not all is as wonderful as she might wish to believe. Musically this is a challenging tune, mixing the orchestral elements of a Moody Blues with a darker, urgent nature. Yehezkely's vocals are great, as they have been throughout the album, but there is a desperation implied in the music that just doesn't come through in her theatrically blunted affect.

I'm In Deep is a love song at first blush, full of the dreamy attitudes of one enraptured with another, but given the two previous songs its hard not to hear an ulterior meaning to the song (with I'm In Deep having a negative rather than a positive connotation). In fact, I'm In Deep is one of the most positive songs on Memoirs At The End Of The World, a true bit of mix-tape magic in the ethereal pop tradition of Mazzy Starr. Theme From "Memoirs" has a dark, "film noir" feel about it, like a Mike Hammer-like character might come ambling into view at any moment. The theme itself isn't as dark as some of the more introspective tracks on Memoirs At The End Of The World, but carries with it a weary sense of a world gone wrong. The Postmarks closes out the album with Gone, a slow and melancholic admonition to let go of what's already moved on. The elements of beauty are still here, but there's a suggestion of madness in the aural dissonance that grows as the song wanes.

The Postmarks have a gothic, post-chamber Pop feel about them, creating as much aural and cognitive dissonance as anyone this side of Robert Smith himself. There is a fluid beauty to the Postmarks at their most genteel, and the band is never out of control, but you can sense reality slip away throughout the course of Memoirs At The End Of The World. The listener is left with a distinct ambivalence; loving the album for what it is sonically and yet becoming more and more disturbed by its tenor as time goes on. The mix, and the success of the mix, suggests nothing short of brilliance in the writing and construction. Vocalist Tim Yehezkely has a gorgeous voice, although it would be good to hear a bit more dynamic variation in the vocal line. On the whole, however, there really isn't much to complain about. This is one of those albums that even if you don't like it you have to respect it.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Postmarks at http://www.thepostmarks.com/ or www.myspace.com/thepostmarks. You can purchase a copy of Memoirs At The End Of The World at Amazon.com. You can download a standard edition or deluxe edition through iTunes.

Review: Spygirl - Pieces Of Evidence

Spygirl – Pieces Of Evidence
2008, Spygirl Music

Vancouver’s Spygirl took eight long years to release their second disc. Their self-titled debut hit shelves in 2000. The band went through some changes over the years, but re-engaged with producer Tom Rothrock (Beck, Badly Drawn Boy, Sloan, Elliott Smith, James Blunt) to release 2008’s Pieces Of Evidence. Born of a longtime collaboration between vocalist Koralee Tonack and multi-instrumentalist Jane Gowan (no idea if she’s related to Styx’ Lawrence Gowan), Spygirl started out as Time Waits. The band is a collection of incredibly talented musicians, and Tonack’s voice is amazing.

Pieces Of Evidence opens with Come Out To Play, a down-tempo song about coming out of your shell and letting go of your fears, yet it sounds mired in a deep melancholy. Where Did Those Stars Come From has an almost ethereal, Mazzy Starr quality to it. Feeling Fine is ambivalence personified; a self-affirmation that is without real energy or life. The vocals and harmonies here are gorgeous, but the energy just isn’t there. Feeling Fine is, unfortunately, a microcosm of Pieces Of Evidence. Well constructed songs fed by pretty harmonies, a lead vocalist with a great voice, and little or no energy to drive it. Mellow and ethereal music are fine, but even mellow music has life and vitality to it. Spygirl comes across as a very talented outfit that just isn’t challenged by or interested in what they are playing. This is unfortunate because there are some wonderful elements here. And Spygirl even tries to make a late save with Be Lost and Weight Of The World, but it’s too little too late to hold on to the listener. The final track, Dust, is a reserved story song where Koralee Tonack really comes to life on vocals. It’s really a worthwhile performance, but most listeners won’t stick around that long.

Rating: 2 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Spygirl at http://www.spygirlmusic.com/ or www.myspace.com/spygirlspygirl. You can purchase a copy of Pieces Of Evidence at MapleMusic.com or as a download through iTunes.