Jeneen Terrana - See The Light

Jeneen Terrana – See The Light
2011, Bitesized Records

Jeneen Terrana is an integral part of the Long Island City, NY music scene.  A distinctive songwriter with flair, Terrana has been comfortable with her local status but has the talent to play much larger stages.  Terrana debuted in 2002 with Just Me, a highly personal collection of originals that showed a raw talent just beginning to come into its own.  Terrana’s 2008 follow-up effort, My Creation, featured the inspired instrumental work of The Howl Brothers, and won critical acclaim from multiple outlets, including being branded a Wildy’s World Certified Desert Island Disc.  Terrana returns in 2011 with See The Light, a more mature and airy effort than her previous two albums.

See The Light opens with “Benny’s In My Head”, a folk ballad with a soulful slant.  This is Terrana’s internal dialogue over the battle between heart and mind when finding herself suddenly in the midst of love.  This is a great piece of songwriting; Terrana has crafted a great arrangement that stays enough in the background to allow the story of the song to play out unfettered.  “I Laid It On Him” is a foxy bit of urban gospel blending jazz with a folk/storyteller pastiche.  The song is incredibly catchy with an almost swing feel to it at times.  “Raise Your Voice” encourages children to speak up from their well of idealism about the world; encouraging them to not be borne down by the cynicism of the world around them.  The song is well-written, and Terrana performs it with heart.  There is one moment, on the highest note of the song, where the vocals come off a bit shrill, but otherwise the performance is flawless.

“All Of You” is written from the midst of true, deep and abiding love; it’s an invitation to join her and be immersed in its waters.  Terrana calls on her heritage, infusing shades of an Italian folk style here.  “I’ll Always Be With You” brings a sort of Baroque musical theater feel to the table.  While the song itself is a love song in a fairly common style, Terrana breathes pleasant life into the genre.  “See The Light” and “At School” are solid album tracks that lead into the splendid songwriting that makes up “God, I Need Comfort”.  Terrana’s representation of one side of a dialogue or prayer is intriguing; full of dark, Mediterranean influences.  Terrana explores the darker side of self and the constant battle to be better than we really are.  The composition is gorgeous, with amazing harmony vocals.  “Never Go” is another meditation on love; on her desire for love to stay as it is forever.  See The Light closes out with “Time”, a gentle plea to time itself to slow down for her.  Terrana keeps things simple, allowing the simple beauty of the melody and the unbridled angst of the lyrics to shine.  It’s a stunning closer.

Jeneen Terrana shows a lot of musical maturity on See The Light while exploring the happier countenance of love.  She doesn’t get entirely way from the darker aspects of humanity, and often her best songwriting comes from those darker places, but See The Light is a strong transitional album.  It doesn’t have quite the urgent energy of her previous work, but shows an artist struggling to come to terms with her deeper self.  Terrana is a top-notch songwriting, and her voice is enthralling.  And while there are a couple of slow spots here, this is the album Terrana had to make next to continue to grow creatively and as a performer.  See The Light is highly recommended listening.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Jeneen Terrana at www.jeneenterrana.com or www.myspace.com/jeneenterrana.   See The Light is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  Digital copies are also available from iTunes.

Over The Rhine – The Long Surrender

Over The Rhine – The Long Surrender
2011, Great Speckled Dog/Over The Rhine

It’s been twenty years since Over The Rhine took their first steps toward becoming darling of the alt-folk scene.  What started out as a quarter has been whittled down to husband and wife team Linford Detweiler (piano/guitar/bass) and Karin Berqquist (vocals/guitar).  While the sense of ambience present on albums such as Till We Have Faces (1991), Good Dog, Bad Dog (2000) and Ohio (2003) may have faded some with the passage of time, Over The Rhine’s new album The Long Surrender  displays an intimate and integral sound that is compelling.  The Long Surrender will be available of February 8, 2011.

The Long Surrender opens with “The Sharpest Blade”, a slowly meandering folk/rock recitative with mid torch qualities.  Gorgeous, sorrowful and heartfelt, Berqquist makes the most of the vocal line.  It’s a stunning beginning.  “Rave On” has a quiet, impassioned urgency.  Berqquist is at her most emotive in a song with a timeless feel.  There’s a sense of a universal theme here that’s perhaps just beyond the listener’s reach; unchangeable in form but vibrant in force.  “Soon” is deeply melancholy, perhaps even morbidly blue.  The darkness of the arrangement and Berqquist’s voice is fascinating.  “Undamned” is a gorgeous oil painting in music pondering the saving grace of love.  Written from the perspective of a lost, broken soul suddenly wrapped in, and saved by love, the realization dawns on her that she is worth saving.  The unmistakable mark of humanity here is vibrant and tangible.

“Infamous Love Song” is pure torch; a love song of broken souls.  Detweiler and Berqquist have composed a mini masterpiece here; you nearly see the speakeasy coalesce around you as Over The Rhine begin to play, and sense the waves of sorrow and desperation wafting forth from the patrons therein.  The song is amazing: needful and powerful and full of a lonely grace that will refuse to let you go.  “Oh Yeah By The Way” explores the words left unsaid after heartbreak sets in.  This one’s a vocal duet, and captures the love, pain and regret in a stellar bit of songwriting that is likewise unforgettable.  “The King Knows How” is a stylish, bluesy number with a sultry feel that drops references to Elvis Presley and Hank Williams.  The song is a bit opaque perhaps, but is entertaining with a sense of surreal sensuality. 

“There’s A Bluebird In My Heart goes back to the bluesy torch sound, perhaps not quite as successfully as before.  Berqquist continues to excel on the vocal lines, but something about this one doesn’t quite click.  “Days Like This” is more ambient in nature, a dreamy folk/pop number that’s ethereally pretty.  “All My Favorite People” opens with what might be the best opening line to a pop song ever.  “All my favorite people are broken…” launches an exploration of the beauty of the shades of grey that envelope our lives over time.  The depth and maturity of the songwriting here is nothing less than stunning, and Berqquist shows a depth and presence the likes of which are generally the mark of a consummate performer.  Detweiler also shows off with a healthy dose of Ray Charles-style piano licks.  The Long Surrender closes with “Unspoken” is a brief piano-based instrumental epilogue with country accoutrements.    Saxophone takes the lead on the melody line in a pretty closer that sounds like the end credits to a film.

Over The Rhine just keeps getting better with time, and The Long Surrender is their most intimate and compelling work to date.  Karin Berqquist could sing the Cleveland phone book in the middle of Times Square and draw an audience, and Linford Detweiler shows an almost preternatural ability to build arrangements that fit her voice perfectly.  There are a couple of slow moments on The Long Surrender, but on balance it’s hard to imagine The Long Surrender not ending up on a number of year-end lists for 2011.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Over The Rhine at www.overtherhine.com or www.myspace.com/overtherhine.  The Long Surrender drops on February 8, 2011.  The album can be pre-ordered from Amazon as a CD, on Vinyl or as a Download.

Review: Audra Mae - Haunt EP

Audra Mae - Haunt EP
2009, Sideonedummy Records

I guess if Judy Garland and Liza Minelli are in your family tree you might at least consider a career in show business. Such filial connections might get you a toe-hold in music world, but you don't go anywhere without real talent. Oklahoma native Audra Mae is one of those artists who would make it if her most famous relative was the OSU water boy. With a voice that's reminiscent of folks like Garland, Kay Starr and Mae West but with a bit of country twang thrown in, Audra Mae turns heads when she starts to sing. Audra Mae came to national attention when her cover of Bob Dylan's Forever Young was featured on FX' Sons Of Anarchy last year. She will return to the show's soundtrack this season with a cover of Patti Griffin's Mary. On October 20, 2009, Audra Mae released a digital-EP entitled Haunt, in anticipation of her full length debut due in early 2010.

Haunt opens with The River, a stark tale full of beauty. Audra Mae's voice is absolutely enchanting; time seemingly stands still the first time you hear her. The Fable has a darkly gorgeous melody lawn drawn across an arrangement that sounds like it came from a European cabaret. Audra Mae displays a lyrical depth and poetic feel for songwriting that seems well beyond her years. Eli, The Barrow Boy is a song about loss, grief and the choices it sometimes makes for us. Audra Mae writes here in the style of a bard, creating a character who lives and breathes in a cautionary tale, enlivened by her lush voice. One Silver Dollar follows the paths of life as traversed by a single coin. In truth, it's the weakest track on the EP and still a song that most songwriters would be more than proud of. Audra Mae closes out with Sullivan's Letter, in which a Civil War soldier writes home before the Battle of Bull Run. Sullivan forecasts his death, yet goes on to tell his beloved that love survives even death. The song is a tragic romance movie squeezed into a four minute bit of musical genius. The arrangement her is amazingly lush and warm, and joins with her voice in a bit of celestial harmony.

Haunt will. The songs here aren't catchy pop tunes, but good luck getting them out of your head. Audra Mae writes intelligent, deep songs that live and breathe with the characters and moments she captures within. Add to this a voice that's absolutely unforgettable and arrangements that fit each song like skin, and you have a very special listening experience on your hands. Haunt is the sort of introduction that drives curious listeners into obsessive fan hood. If this is any indication, the forthcoming debut album should be amazing.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Audra Mae at www.myspace.com/audramae. Haunt is available through iTunes. Hard copies can be found if you catch her on tour.

Review: Raina Rose - End Of Endless False Starts

Raina Rose - End Of Endless False Starts
2008, Myckle Mirth Music

Austin, Texas’ Raina Rose is an Indie folk singer/songwriter who has garnered a fair amount of attention through her first two albums. With a fairly traditional approach and extensive touring, Rose's following has grown to a point where the right spark could catapult her to much larger stages. In 2008, Rose took a step in that direction with the release of her third album, End of Endless False Starts. Stepping away from the traditionalist folk bent that defined her early career, Rose made the brave choice to incorporate other influences (Rock, Drum N Bass, instrumental minimalism, etc.) into her songs. The result is a breathtaking and ultimately moving album where the listener is transported to a world of Roses' choosing; where the walls are notes and staves and the windows are the lyrics that illuminate.

End Of Endless False Starts opens with Are You Still In Love With The World?, a musical gut check about what happened to the enthusiasm of youth. The song is lyrically dense and plays around the concept of the middle age crisis, becoming an admonishment of trading in hope for security. Kings Flashlight is a poignant song about the need most of us feel for our "other half". This is a great bit of Folk/Pop songwriting, and really shows off Raina Rose's warm, beautiful voice. Blind Cyrus is a song about loneliness and about persevering through more difficult times life throws our way. The arrangement on this one is perfect.

Air & Water is one of my personal favorites here, a song about falling in love like falling off a log; helplessly and full of exhilaration. The River shows hints of an Ani DiFranco influence and is probably the best songwriting on the disc. The guitar work alone would be worth listening in for. This Ain't My House caught my attention on the first listen to End Of Endless False Starts. The song is very powerful and bleak, reflecting a great deal of turmoil in the roiling arrangement. It ranks up there with The River but is much darker in aspect. Make sure you also check out Not My Love, Starts With A Low Hum and False Start.

Raina Rose is distinctive in songwriting style, matching up a distinct and visceral honesty with a somewhat quirky worldview and a homey story-telling style that sets the listener immediately at ease. Her voice will suck you in and keep you listening even if the songs themselves don't catch you. End Of Endless False Starts was a pleasant surprise, the sort of album you expect out a long established Folk/Rock artist with a reputation as a songwriter. The future's looking mighty bright for Raina Rose.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Raina Rose at http://www.rainarose.com/ or wwwmyspace.com/rainarose. You can purchase a copy of End Of Endless False Starts at www.cdbaby.com/cd/raina3.

Review: Lauren Houston - Roots & Wings

Lauren Houston - Roots & Wings
2008, Hale Groove Productions

Morning View, Kentucky is the home and spiritual base of Lauren Houston. Raised by hard-working parents on classic Rock and Roll and singer-songwriters, Houston developed a taste for performance early on. By the time she was in college she was ready to start performing as part of the Cincinnati-based trio Mr. Dub and the To Be’s, but shortly thereafter began on her own solo journey. Confessional songwriting is Houston’s style. “Six strings and the truth” is the motto on her MySpace page, and Houston walks the walk in every song on her debut album, Roots & Wings.

Roots & Wings is a classic country album with great musicianship, strong songwriting and the plaintive, sweet voice of Lauren Houston, but something truly great is afoot here. It's rare that I make a point of elevating a particular song above the album it comes from, but in this case I must make an exception. Fight This War should put Lauren Houston on the map in a big, big way. It's the ballad of a soldier's wife in a time of war. Houston plays the protagonist here, laying her heart bare as the wife of a soldier ("I'll fight this battle and you fight this war"). The song is astoundingly touching; a heart-breaking look at the thoughts and emotions of the ones left behind. It's patriotic and full of love for the soldier and is a well-told story to boot. If this song ever makes it to popular country radio it might never come out of rotation. At the very least it's the sort of song that should be licensed for movies about or based in the Iraq War/War On Terror that will be made in the coming years.

Sexy Boots is another highly commercial song that should do well for Houston. This is the sort of song that someone like Shania Twain could buy her next mansion with. Lauren Houston has a real knack for pop-country as displayed here, and she can even sing without a backing vocal track! Mason's Daughter goes more a traditional country feel and shows off the sweeter side of Houston's voice in fine fashion. Be sure to check out Can't Get Enough, a poignant love song that holds that same sense of sweetness Houston projects through most of her songs. Other highlights here include Wasted Emotions, You Feel Like Home, Heart In Mind and Mr. Tree. As an afterthought, a country rock mix of Sexy Boots is included to give you an idea of what someone like a Mutt Lange might make of her amazing songs.

Lauren Houston is a talent. She sings, she writes well and she has that down-home girl next door aura that is neither false nor cliché. Roots & Wings should help Lauren Houston ascend the country ladder, and Fight This War could be the song that allows Houston to look at wherever she wants to be and declare that to be the top. If that song ever gets into major distribution there won't be anyone in the business who will argue with her. This is a must have disc for that song alone, but take away Fight This War and it's still a very strong release.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Lauren Houston at http://www.lauren-houston.com/ or www.myspace.com/laurenhouston. You can pick up a copy of Roots & Wings at www.cdbaby.com/cd/laurenhouston.