Hannah Miller - O Black River

Hannah Miller – O Black River
2011, Hannah Miller Music

Alabama –born Nashville transplant (by way of Columbia, South Carolina), Hannah Miller sings the soul of the Deep South.  Compared to artists such as Neko Case, Feist, Liz Phair and Basia Bulat, Miller sings with a deep-rooted authenticity that simply can’t be bought.  Her songwriting is as organic as her voice.  Miller’s latest effort, O Black River¸ is a six-song set due out on September 27, 2011.  It is among her most accomplished works to date.

O Black River opens with the title track, a melancholy revivalist hymn to the water.  Miller brings out the dark beauty of human suffering with a voice that is smoky and lush; this is a great start.  “To The Swift” is a slinky, bluesy turn; a song of self-searching with an entrancing vocal line.  “Bleed Out” is a low-key diary-style number that shows off Miller’s impressive voice.  On “Foolish Pride” is a darkly private affair, showing off a distinctive vulnerability, followed by a surprising and somehow not contradictory core of strength.  “Elijah” is the star of the EP, a wonderfully written number with an unforgettable chorus.  Miller shows off a sparkling pop sensibility woven into the seams of the supple folk/Americana arrangement.  This is a Wow moment.  Miller closes with “Refuge”, a gorgeous love song that blends the elements of folk with the soul and groove of classic R&B.

Hannah Miller is an absolute breath of fresh air.  A one-of-a-kind voice; songwriting sprung from the roots of the Deep South, and a subtle pop sensibility running through it all that keeps everything fresh.  O Black River is going to get Miller some serious attention.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Hannah Miller at www.hannahmillermusic.com or www.myspace.com/hannahmiller.  O Black River is available digitally from Amazon.com.

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.

Review: Sharif - Kisses And Lies

Sharif - Kisses And Lies
2008, Cursing Furniture Publishing

Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Sharif certainly has significant presence in the music industry. Rave reviews for both his recording and live performances are an indication, but for the real story just take a look at the sort of people pitching in on Sharif’s latest album, Kisses And Lies. His backing band includes Tim Bradshaw (John Mayer, David Gray), Jon Graboff (Ryan Adams), Mark Goldenberg (Jackson Browne, Ringo Starr), Stewart Miles (Jason Mraz, Lifehouse, Shawn Colvin) and Brian Jones (Mandy Moore, Liz Phair). Additionally, appearances by Rhett Miller (The Old 97’s) and Robb MacLean (Limbeck) bring added interest. Kisses And Lies is self-produced and should serve to open a lot of eyes and ears to the talent of Sharif.

Kisses And Lies opens with Far From You, a vibrant and catchy tune about moving on after a relationship. Sharif has a pleasant voice that soars in this setting. Rhett Miller (The Old 97's) sits in on Dark Side Of The Dawn, a great bit of easy Americana about one way to cope with loss. This one will definitely get your toes tapping, and finds Sharif sounding a bit like Jason Plumb playing with Blue Rodeo. Another Wasted Rose is a brilliant bit of songwriting; it's not your typical country song of heartbreak. Very well written, Another Wasted Rose is full of strong imagery and an absolutely unforgettable chorus. There's nothing flashy here, just amazing songwriting. Worth The Fall represents the realization that even a relationship that ended badly was worth the time he had. The song is melancholy and a bit lost in a mix of sorrow and reverie.

By Your Side casts a mid-tempo devotion of expression; it's the classic "I'll Be There For You" statement in song and leads into Oceans Of Trouble. Oceans Of Trouble finds Sharif still mired in his loss; it's all he can think/write/sing about at this point in the album. Sharif goes off the beaten path a bit with The District Sleeps Alone Tonight, a vaguely off but highly enjoyable song. Sharif celebrates the joy of love on Deeper In Her Arms. The upbeat Americana arrangement has a great sound, border on early Rock N Roll with an R&B backbeat. Sharif seems to struggle a bit for much of the rest of the album, which songs such as Memories Like A Melody, The Price You Pay, Do I Want You Enough and Moment Of Trust having a marginal impression on the public at large. Sharif recovers in time for the last track, however. I Won't Need Your Kisses Anymore is a great closer. The energy that was lost for much of the second half of the album returns in a Blues-flavored, old school Country tune you won't soon forget.

Sharif turns in both great songwriting and performance efforts on Kisses And Liars. The first half of the album is absolutely brilliant while the second half gets mired in itself. It's as if all of the strongest material was placed on the album first and then weaker tracks were added later on. Don't get me wrong, the weaker tracks here don't necessarily equate to a problem, they just don't stand up well against the superior quality songwriting evident on the first half of the album. Either way, Kisses And Liars is worth checking out.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Sharif at http://www.sharifmusic.com/ or www.myspace.com/sharif. You can purchase Kisses And Lies as either a CD or download from CDBaby.com.

Review: Alejandra O'Leary - Nothing Out Loud

Alejandra O'Leary - Nothing Out Loud
2009, Alejandra O’Leary Music

Alejandra O’Leary doesn’t sit still. Born on a small island off the Southern Coast of Maine, O’Leary worked her way all the way to Yale, forming two original rock bands (The Tourettes And The Masses) while studying English and Spanish literature. Moving to New York City in 2006, O’Leary immersed herself in the local music scene. On September 1, 2009, O’Leary released her debut album, Nothing Out Loud. Between the time O’Leary recorded the album and the release date she picked up and moved to Ann Arbor Michigan, but continues to tour consistently.

Nothing Out Loud opens with Ever After, a kiss off song to a one-sided relationship done in solid Pop/Rock terms. The song is decent enough, and O'Leary presents with a vocal style reminiscent of 1950's girl pop. There's enough vibrato in her voice to make it sound like she's eternally on the verge of going out of key, although it never quite happens. The effect is a bit disturbing until you get used to it. Tremor is an upbeat, piano and drum driven track with a dance beat and a simple arrangement that allows for a highly homogenized acoustic dance tune to develop. The pitch alarm finally goes off here, with O'Leary's breath control giving away on the longer passages at times. O'Leary slows things down significantly on the Folky December.

Moving somewhat into her higher vocal range, O'Leary appears to have a better relationship with the key she's singing in. Lyrically, the song is a bit simplistic but conveys her thoughts, ideas and emotions clearly. Rally comes back to the 1950's pop feel, urging a former flame to try again. It's a well-written pop tune with a catchy beat and a melody that you can sing along to.
O'Leary stays fairly steady across Powerhouse, I Love Your Tone and You Gotta Love Me Sometimes; all songs that are decent but don't really stick with the listener. There's a very young sense to O'Leary lyrically, like she has big emotional expressions to make here but hasn't quite developed the words to say all that's in her head. Thinkin' Straight hits the nail on the head by keeping things simple. It's not artful or elegant but does present a straight up look at what's going on inside in a sweet love song that's part cliché and part confession. Nothing Out Loud closes out with People Like Me, perhaps the best songwriting on the disc. There's an honesty and edge here that O'Leary seems to nail after trying to get there for much of the album.

This is one of those albums and reviews where I have my misgivings. I am not 100% sure if I just didn't get the point or if O'Leary never really made it clearly. Either way, Nothing Out Loud is something of a musical mess, but a good mess if you understand my meaning. O'Leary has a strong Pop sensibility built into her Alt-Folk presentation. She seems like she's still growing into her own as a songwriter, but the seeds of success are definitely here. Nothing Out Loud doesn't shine like it might, but it promises good things for the future.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Alejandra O’Leary at www.myspace.com/alejandraoleary. You can purchase Nothing Out Loud as either a CD or download on CDBaby.com.