Alice Ripley - Daily Practice, Volume 1

Alice Ripley - Daily Practice, Volume 1
2011, Sh-K-Boom Records

TONY winner Alice Ripley has been acting on and off Broadway for twenty years, as well as recording albums and gigging with her band Ripley and creating works on canvas and in mixed media.  As an artist whose creative energies seem to have no end, Ripley often uses one art form to balance off another.  So it was in 2009, when Ripley played conjoined twin Diana in Next To Normal.  Aside from earning Ripley a TONY for best actress in a musical as well as a Helen Hayes award, Next To Normal left Ripley with another legacy.  Each night Ripley would return to her hotel room and recover from the emotional weight of her performance by singing some of her favorite songs while accompanying herself on acoustic guitar.   These impromptu therapy sessions were memorialized on the album Daily Practice, Volume 1, released earlier this year on Sh-K-Boom Records.

Daily Practice, Volume 1 is raw and unvarnished, featuring Alice Ripley in an almost manic performance state.  The result is unsettling at times, striking at others, and throughout is underscored by the emotional complexities and beauties of the human condition.  Ripley opens with Carole King's "It's Too Late".  This is one of the mellower offerings on the album, but Ripley's vocal performance is impassioned and full of emotion.   "Message In A Bottle" is halting and uncertain at times.  While the original version by the Police seems to focus more on the hope for salvation, Ripley's version seems more focused on the desolation and hopelessness of the narrator's position.  The performance is striking and raw, delivered in the uncomfortable tones of someone who doesn't know what to do next.

"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" is played straight to the letter, but misses the soaring feel of the original in a workman-like performance.  Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know" is slowed down a bit, with Alice Ripley all over the place vocally.  Ripley seems to relish the emotional outbursts of the song, articulating representatives of the FCC's seven deadly words with particular fervor.  "Essence" (Lucinda Williams) displays a particular vulnerability; the emotional charge in Ripley's voice is palpable and real. 

Ripley goes all out for Bruce Springsteen's "Thunder Road", capturing the gritty honesty of Springsteen's writing style perfectly.  The sense of hope and joy amidst a dreary world is compelling.  Nanci Griffith's "The Flyer" drips with the loneliness of the road, staying true to the original.  Ripley takes on The Eagles' "Take It Easy" in halting fashion.  It's a solid cover, but doesn't have the carefree feel of the original.  Ripley takes a fair shot at R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts", but sounds overwrought.  The whiney, self-involved nature of the song and the heaviness of Ripley's voice just don't make for a great mix.  Ripley closes on sound footing with a solid cover of Carly Simon's "Anticipation".

Cover albums are always fraught with difficulties for fans and critics alike, but Daily Practice, Volume 1 is not your typical cover album.  The ten songs collected here represent a daily process of catharsis that allowed Ripley to maintain her balance during one of the most trying roles of her career.  The unvarnished nature of the album will give some listeners pause.  This is Alice Ripley, warts and all.  Most artists would never have the audacity to release recording in such a raw state.  From a purely aesthetic standpoint, Daily Practice, Volume 1is raw and unsettling.  Put into perspective, it becomes a statement of freedom, and of that particular beauty that grows from human imperfection and perseverance.  Daily Practice, Volume 1 comes straight from the heart.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

 Alice Ripley's web presence is fleeting and hard to find.  Her blog, aliceripleylinkup.blogspot.com has not been updated in a while, but you can pick up some good information about her there.  The site for her band, Ripley, www.myspace.com/ripleytheband has also not been updated in a while.  Luckily, Daily Practice, Volume 1 is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available via iTunes.

Review: Tamara Lewis - Living Down River

Tamara Lewis – Living Down River
2008, Tamara Lewis

Seattle’s Tamara Lewis is a singer/songwriter whose writing is informed by twenty years as a psychotherapist as well as her own struggle with a decade-long serious illness. Writing primarily in a folk style with country and blues influences, Lewis opens her heart to listeners with no quarter asked. Supported by Max Cohen (Dar Williams), Pat Donohue (Prairie Home Companion), Murl Sanders and a cast of extremely talented musicians, Lewis delivers ten songs of passionate folk on her second CD, Living Down River. You’ll hear hints of influences such as Alison Krauss, Patsy Cline and Nanci Griffith, but Lewis’ distinctive voice and lyrical style will leave a marked impression on listeners from opening note to last.

Living Down River opens with I’ll Come Home, a song about being able to find and stay in your center even when darkness descends on your life. Lewis’ voice is strong and soothing; the perfect complement to the lyrics when you realize that she’s singing as much to herself as to you. Better Day is a country lullaby for a bad day; full of the vulnerability of someone who has lost control of their life, it is one of the most poignant songs you’re likely to come across. There’s a sad yet hopeful beauty here that is magical. Don’t Look At The Mountain is in a southern gospel style that infuses bluegrass instrumentation. It’s an incredibly enjoyable listen.

That Leavin’ Sound is a class country song of heartbreak sung in intelligent and vibrant terms. Tamara Lewis sings this song as if she’s feeling every wrench of her heart. Try not to be moved. Big City Blues goes to the other end of the spectrum. It’s a smart look at city life and is probably the most fun song on the album. With My Eyes is a special moment. It addresses fidelity and attraction in an honest and bare fashion that is refreshing. Cold Coffee, Warm Beer is a humorous look at how to handle running into an ex-boyfriend written in the spirit/style of Christine Lavin. Key Of Lonely is the keynote song on Living Down River; a gorgeous piano-based ballad about a relationship that doesn’t work despite best intentions by both involved. The album closes out with Living Down River, a haunting song full of home style wisdom and haunting harmonica.

The talent of Tamara Lewis is abundantly clear. In songwriting she is able to drop the filters that we live with every day and just stand alone in her songs. Steeped in an honesty that is almost unsettling, Lewis finds human insights in her songs like a prospector looking for gemstones. The listener is enriched in the process, but one gets the impression that is Lewis who is most healed by her search. Living Down River is a sonically gorgeous album that is smart, occasionally witty and just plain good. Spend an hour with Tamara Lewis. You’ll be happy you did, and you’ll go back again.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Tamara Lewis at http://www.tlewismusic.com/ or www.myspace.com/tamaralewis. You can purchase a copy of Living Down River at www.cdbaby.com/cd/tamaralewis2.

The Wildy's World Top-40 Of 2008: #5

Okay folks, it's getting serious now. We're down to the Top-5 albums we reviewed in 2008. The competition is pretty fierce, and it was very difficult to make these choices. There was a lot of arguing, impetulant stomping about, threats of the silent treatment and even of fisticuffs, and that was just me! Suffice it to say that at this point the rankings don't matter a great deal, as any of the top 5 have qualities that make them deserving to be in range of the top spot. Of course there can only be one #1...

Remember that you can see the original review of the album by clicking on the artist name and title highlighted below. The review will include links to the artist page as well as purchase information.


Top we look at the fifth ranked album of the year.

#5 Rebecca Katz - Spendin' On Today
Rebecca Katz just got in under the wire for inclusion in the Top-40, and oh was her timing great. This Boston-based folk singer is one of the true gems of 2008. The Louisville, Kentucky native and Brandeis University grad makes her home base in Boston, but has wowed audiences up and down the Eastern Seaboard with her warmth, intelligence, sparkling wit and gorgeous voice. In the finest folk tradition, Katz weaves her own songs while reinterpreting some of the finest songs of the folk tradition. Katz isn't afraid to explore other musical styles, but her own creations are all acoustic and of her own hands (and voice). You may not find a more honest and charming performer on the folk circuit or anywhere out there. Spendin' On Today, at six songs, is short, but is powerful for both the quality and the veritable honesty that flows out of those songs. Spendin' On Today is far and away the best Folk Album we heard in 2008.

Review: Rebecca Katz - Spendin On Today

Rebecca Katz – Spendin’ On Today
2007, RKatz Music

Boston’s Rebecca Katz is something of an anomaly as a songwriter. Rather than adhering strictly to a folk or pop tradition, Katz has chosen a much more difficult and rewarding path. Harkening back to the age-old troubadour tradition, Katz blends stories, anecdotes and music into a blend of entertainment that is both glorious song craft and something that is greater than the sum of its integral parts. Katz lights up the room as a performer and can draw out the music fan in even the curmudgeonliest of listeners. Her debut album, Spendin’ On Today shows off the songwriter/storyteller side of Katz in phenomenal fashion. You need to hear this.

Rebecca Katz makes you feel at home right from the opening notes of Spendin' On Today. Her warm, rich alto voice is a tonic for all that ails you. Opening with If You See The One, Katz mixes heartfelt angst and humor to convey that sometimes the right person can come along at the wrong time. (If you see the one that I could love / just give him a push in the wrong direction / 'cause I've been waiting so long / I just spent the last of my affection.) The Real Thing is perhaps the perfect wedding song. So many wedding songs get picked because of a chorus or a verse that rings true and often other parts of the song run very much counter to the occasion. The Real Thing is the sort of song you could use as a first dance song without question or pause. It's incredibly well written, heart-felt and touching.

Katz moves on to This Story (The Maid & The Sailor). This Story is an epic story song in the tradition of the great folk troubadours. The acoustic guitar here serves as more of a meter to Katz' story than anything else. Her voice shapes the words as smoothly as a Vegas dealer laying cards on the table. To Donnie is a little more dynamic, reflecting distinct affection for the protagonist. Kiss Me Goodnight is another potential signature song. Katz memorializes in less than four-and-a-half minutes all that is important about a loving relationship. It's almost the anecdote to Sheryl Crow's Strong Enough. Rather than challenging, Katz simply asks for what she needs in one of the sweetest realistic love songs you'll hear in 2008. Spendin' On Today closes with Home Again, an a cappella tune that would work wonderfully well with a gospel choir. It's a great song, but is just a little too bare when done a cappella.

Rebecca Katz comes out of nowhere with what is undeniably one of the best folk albums I've heard this year. If there is any complaint one can make its that at six songs it’s just too short. Spendin' On Today is warm and rich, with a heart-on-the-sleeve tendency that smacks of Nanci Griffith or Dar Williams. Katz' voice is glorious and her delivery is spot-on. Great songs and a primo performance make Spendin' On Today a must have. It's a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc. You don't want to let this one get by you.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Rebecca Katz at http://www.rkatztunes.com/, where you can purchase a copy of Spendin’ On Today.

Review: Julie Clark - Change Your Mind

Julie Clark - Change Your Mind
2009, Great Big Records

On December, 2008, Julie Clark will release Change Your Mind on Great Big Records. Clark is an openly lesbian musician who walks the fine line between folk and pop/rock. Her songwriting has been widely claimed, winning the Kerrville New Folk Songwriting Competition (joining alumni such as Lyle Lovett, Steve Earle, Nanci Griffith and Shawn Colvin). She's also won the Great American Song Contest and Best Audience Response at the Cornucopia Music Festival. Clark's music is full of bald honesty, jaunty word play, and a vision of change based in her own personal struggles. Having grown up as an extremely overweight child, Clark has shed nearly 200 pounds to reclaim herself as she wants to be.

Change Your Mind opens with the title track, a true Americana/country tune that calls upon individual self-reliance in order to find happiness. The song is quite lovely with a memorable melody. Superman takes on the death of Superman and the superficial nature of friendship. Clark steps up with an endearing ballad to her big brother in Growing Up. Jacket ads a little blues/rock sexuality to Change Your Mind in one of the highlights of the album. If It Weren’t For That tackles Clark’s struggle with her weight in an unusually honest autobiographical song. Long Way Down sounds like something The Indigo Girls might have recorded, from the style right down to the harmonies. It’s perhaps the most commercial song on the album, and a good pick to be licensed.

Courage Of Our Convictions is the centerpiece of Change Your Mind. It’s perhaps the most musically stunning and poignant gay rights anthem you’ll ever hear. With a jazz/blues background, including some filthy guitar work and Hammond Organ, Clark has reached deep down into her well of talent and come up with a musically superb vehicle for her message. Even the message of seeking out equality is handled with a panache and intelligence that will likely win hearts and minds. I’d Do ‘Em All (If I Could) is Julie Clark at her funkiest and most brazen. This is the sort of party song that gets parties shut down. It’s a lot of fun. Change Your Mind closes out with Roller Coaster, perhaps the most straight forward country tune on the album. It’s a good song but perhaps a bit anti-climactic after I’d Do ‘Em All (which probably should have been the closer).

Julie Clark is a talented singer/songwriter/story teller. Her voice is very affable and her blunt, personal story telling style is endearing. Clark has a real sense for melody and tension in her music and should be making music for many years to come. Change Your Mind is a gem worth checking out. And while music is often used to change minds, it’s good to remember that music can also change hearts. Clark has that gift.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Julie Clark at http://www.julieclark.net/. Change Your Mind will be released on December 5, 2008, and can be pre-ordered at www.cdbaby.com/julieclark2.