Category: Adult Contemporary (Page 15 of 16)

Lisa Donnelly: We Had a Thing

June 5, 2009 /

Although Lisa Donnelly is but unknown at this point, there’s something uncannily familiar about her solo debut. Having fronted the L.A. outfit A.M. Pacific and after mining the Hollywood club circuit, it’s only natural that she should exude the air of a veteran, and indeed the confidence and ease with which she delivers her material belies any hint of relative inexperience. If anything, Donnelly may be too ambitious; We Had a Thing suggests she may be trying to cover too much ground for a first outing. And in fact, with songs that run the gamut from ethereal ballads to propulsive hip-hop, it’s hard to get a handle on Donnelly’s true essence. Try Sarah McLachlan meets Madonna. She even throws some sitar into the mix with the song “Blue,” suggesting a psychedelic spin that quickly turns into a meditative mode. Still, the most telling track on the album – both literally and figuratively – is the leadoff tune “Laugh,” an intriguing narrative about a dinner party encounter with a psychic who preps her for the future. Being that she’s a bit derivative, it’s difficult to read Donnelly’s chances for success based on this album alone. Still, it suggests there’s plenty of potential for ongoing endeavors.
(BT Media 2009)

Lisa Donnelly MySpace page

Adult Contemporary, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Dance, Hip Hop, Melodramatic, Vocal

A Fine Mess makes for enjoyable pop.

May 25, 2009 /

Kate Voegele, A Fine Mess

Kate Voegeles’s sophomore record, A Fine Mess is a direct reflection of the emotional roller coaster the 22-year-old singer-songwriter has been through in the last year. Thanks to producer Mike Elizondo (Fiona Apple, Rilo Kiley), Voegele’s second record trades a more feminine, piano pop for a grittier guitar-driven sound that acts as a perfect counterpoint to her delicate vocals. A Fine Mess comes complete with the usual relationship-inspired anthems, but is reinforced by tracks like, “Sweet Silver Lining” where the singer finds hope in the darkest of misfortunes, and “Angel” where Voegele attempts to dispel any “good girl” notions listeners may have about her.

Luckily for Vogele, A Fine Mess is a lot more put together than its title would imply. Entertainment Weekly gave Voegele’s second attempt at pop-stardom a B- suggesting listener’s check out her first single, “99 Times,” where she verbally attacks a friend who is full of lies and excuses. Amazon.com also praised Voegele saying, A Fine Mess is,

“brimming with optimism, first time independence and the wisdom that comes from one too many broken hearts. [Its] the continuation of a road Voegele was destined to travel, and, like every milestone in her career thus far, she navigates it with gusto.”

Unfortunately, not everyone is a fan of A Fine Mess. People.com gave Mess two stars, claiming, there’s too much competition in today’s pop market for Voegele to stand out. Ranking her behind Katy Perry, KT Tunstall, Kate Nash and Kate Walsh, People.com wrote, “while there’s little to distinguish [Voegele’s] brand of chick pop, the One Tree Hill actress at least plays well to the CW crowd” (Kate also doubles as Mia on the CW’s One Tree Hill). It’s true, in comparison Voegele falls short of major players like Perry, but in her defense, A Fine Mess is exactly what it’s supposed to be: sugary pop virtually void of complexity that is easy to relate to, and fun to listen to. It may not be a number one record, but there’s nothing disappointing about it. So, if you were a fan of Voegele’s debut, Don’t Look Away or your iPod is chocked full of Marie Digby, Michelle Branch, or Vanessa Carlton-esque pop give A Fine Mess a listen.

Adult Contemporary, CD Reviews, Pop, Rock

M Shanghai String Band: The Mapmaker’s Daughter

May 8, 2009 /

Fiddles and banjos in Brooklyn? Well, yes, apparently – as that’s the M Shanghai String Band’s home turf, no matter how much they sound like they hail from some backwoods holler south of the Mason-Dixon line. The freewheeling collective, which takes its name from the Chinese restaurant where they first performed together, returns here with its third disc of rootsy tunes, dominated – as you might imagine – by the various stringed things its 11 members play. The titles are often cooler than the songs themselves (particularly “Angel Full of Bourbon,” which, let’s face it, is a title most songs could never live up to), but even if the band’s material isn’t outstanding, it’s good enough to do set a suitably back-porch mood – and Mapmaker’s best moments, like the sawdust-covered stomp “Gallows Bird,” sound like they were distilled in a greasy mason jar just a couple shelves down from Americana standard-bearers like Ollabelle and the Felice Brothers. If it isn’t quite as high-proofed a vintage as either of those other bands, it still packs enough of a punch that it should be able to take the edge off for discerning fans of the genre – and prove a sufficiently intriguing invitation to one of the M Shanghai String Band’s tremendously entertaining live shows. (Red Parlor 2009)

M Shanghai String Band MySpace page

Adult Contemporary, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Folk

The Veils Release Third LP, Sun Gangs

April 21, 2009 /

The Veils, Sun Gangs

From the UK comes the brooding rock outfit The Veils, with their third LP Sun Gangs. This foursome, complete with female bassist Sophia Burn, makes up one of the most unique and emotionally intoned musical groups since U2 or Radiohead. Their depth on Sun Gangs suggests a certain growth since the last record, and their talent for embellishments and arrangements makes this band one to listen to in 2009.

There’s a certain welcoming property about The Veils. They suck you into their emotionally complex world within seconds of the opener, “Sit Down By The Fire,” which BBC called, “a very modern mixture of prayers, love letters and personal record keeping.”

Another standout on the record is “Larkspur” which Dusted Magazine said, “follows a driving picked riff through swells of noise, returning to calm several times before building to a final eruption.” The orchestration on Sun Gangs is one of the main reasons the record is so intriguing. The twists and turns of melody and harmony, tiny instrumental splashes of color, and emotions that ebb and flow through song after song take this record from mundane and repetitive to interesting and easy to listen to.
As Supreme Management wrote,

“By turns warm and ethereal, thundering and cacophonous, The Veils set Sun Gangs apart from efforts by like-minded peers such as the Arcade Fire by imbuing their lush, at times grandiose arrangements with a sense of youthful honesty and personal reflection that seems to so often get lost under the sea of ideas within similarly ambitious efforts.”

The only down side to Sun Gangs is that it’s incredibly mellow. Don’t expect a head-banger here, but then again, that’s not what The Veils are known for. This band is pure emotion and it shows through each and every one of the tracks on Sun Gangs.

If you like U2, AutoVaughn, Kings Of Leon, or Arcade Fire, make sure to check out the latest release from UK rockers, The Veils.

Adult Contemporary, Alternative, CD Reviews, Pop, Rock

Jenny Gillespie: Light Year

April 17, 2009 /

Jenny Gillespie’s hushed, vaguely introspective musings find her treading similar territory to Feist, Sarah MacLachlan and even early Joni Mitchell on occasion, but there’s a hazy glow that adds an unexpected lilt to her proceedings. Her third effort overall following her eponymous 2001 debut and the six song Love and Ammunition four years later, Light Year evokes Day-Glo imagery and idyllic settings, pondered ever so sweetly through poetry and prose. She graces these fragile soundscapes with subtlety and flair, utilizing primarily piano and acoustic guitar, which are then tastefully embellished by bells, accordion, cello, fiddle, mandolin and pedal steel. Yet despite the richness of the arrangements, the songs never feel over-indulgent, radiating instead a shimmer, sparkle and gentle sway that’s ever so beautiful and beguiling. In fact, the entire set is so unerringly mesmerizing, it’s a challenge to distinguish a single standout, although “Vanishing Point,” “Littleblood,” and “Hummingbirds” certainly vie for that distinction. However, with the songs maintaining such low wattage, it may also be necessary to submit to more than a cursory listening – in fact, several may be required before true seduction sets in. Yet be assured that once its given those repeated encounters, Light Year will shine that much stronger.

Jenny Gillespie My Space page

Adult Contemporary, CD QuickTakes, Folk

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2026 Eat Sleep Drink Music

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑