Melissa Ivey, Lovers and Stars
The title track of powerhouse Melissa Ivey's new EP is getting a lot of airplay in her home state of Colorado. It's a fine pop tune that suggests a younger Sheryl Crow combined with a smarter Avril Lavigne. But I like the first of the two collaborations with The Knack's Berton Averre even more: though it adheres less closely to pop conventions, "Eye on the Door" fits Ivey's sultry voice like a wet, torn t-shirt. Her voice, and the CD's smoky production, polishes the dark cores at the songs' hearts, digging deeper into the soul than one expects from such a young singer.
The dramatic climax of the other Averre co-write, "Everywhere and Nowhere," comes as an almost Bowie-esque crescendo, while the fun, punked-out "Far Away" owes more to the riot grrl bands. On the evidence of this limited sample, Ivey has a touch that makes whatever she tries work for her, including the sophisticated folk-pop closer, "No Ties To Break," whose gorgeous little melody grabs on and won't let go. Ivey is a big talent we should be hearing a lot more from soon.
Extended clips here.
The Beautiful Girls, Water
Australia's Beautiful Girls follow up last year's international success with a new compilation of songs from their earlier releases. Those CDs didn't get wide notice outside their native country, so the songs will be new to North American and European audiences. The Caribbean influence is subtler on this disc than on 2005's We're Already Gone, and there's more stress on the funky acoustic skeleton that holds up their liquidy melodies. The sound, reminiscent of the Chili Peppers' soft underbelly, depends on the band's ability to serve their songs (all written by singer-guitarist Mat McHugh) by holding back rather than pressing forward. Indeed, it's music that makes you lean back - at least mentally - as you tap your feet and bob your head.
The band depicts a variety of moods using a small palette. The dreamy reflectivity of "Periscopes" slides into the sly "Morning Sun," whose positive lyrics jostle effectively with tense minor chords. The raw "Water" flows into a barely-there instrumental called "First Sign of Trouble." The centerpiece of the CD is the joyous "Music": "'Cause I got music and it makes me feel all right... and I got it every day." That's true wisdom, y'all.
In a few of the softer, more contemplative tracks like "Freedom" and "I Need To Give This Broken Heart Away" the tension drops out and, with it, too much of the musical energy. But the reggae-ish "Weight of the World" points ahead to the band's lively, mature style. In sum, this compilation has its weaknesses, but fans of We're Already Gone and of McHugh's shades-of-grey writing and carefully thrown-away vocals will probably like it - at least to tide them over till a release of really new material.
Article comments
1 - Robby Leblanc
I don't mean to sound so naive, but I have actually never heard of these singers and bands before. sorry... I really must be out of date now... hope you guys can include mp3's of one of their singles next time. I'd love to hear their music and see for myself if I'll like them or not. thanks!
2 - Mark Saleski
the Genfan material sounds like Kaki King meets Michael Hedges.
hey robby (#1)...there are links on the page to places where you can listen. and of course you haven't heard of this stuff: that's sorta the point!
3 - Jon Sobel
Yeah - that's why I put in the "extended clips" links, which usually go to CD Baby. Some indie artists don't have their CDs at Amazon, and even if they do they don't get to have clips there. CD Baby has 2-minute clips of selected songs from every CD they sell.