Lori Diamond / Fred Abatelli - True
2011, 5th Chakra Records
Bostonian Lori Diamond and NewYorker Fred Abatelli are a testament to a time, not so long ago, when MySpacewas a vibrant community. The two "met" on MySpace in 2007, and beganwhat has turned out to be an extremely successful musical collaboration.Diamond has a golden voice and a gentle touch at the piano that shows itself inthe beautiful and fluid songs she writes. Abatelli offers the perfectcounterweight to Diamond's songs on the fret boards of both bass and 6-stringguitar. Two of Diamond's prior albums, Bound and Mystery (withAbatelli), have earned rave feedback from fellow artists and media alike. OnOctober 22, 2011, Diamond and Abatelli release their second album, True,building on their reputation for great songwriting and seamless playing.
Lori Diamond and Fred Abatelli sharean undeniable chemistry in their music. What was readily apparent on Mysterycomes fully into bloom on True. The album itself is easy tounderestimate. Diamond and Abatelli's songs never truly blow you away, but areof such consistent quality in melody, lyric and arrangement, that you canalmost lose track of how well-written they are. Diamond's voice is a pureinstrument, calling to mind folks such as Sarah McLachlan and Joni Mitchell.Her phrasing and tone are ideal throughout the album. Abatelli contributesquietly throughout the album, enhancing the framework of each song with subtle,yet palpable work on both the bass and guitar.
True opens with The Inside, a gorgeous, five-and-a-halfminute ballad. The sounds Diamond and Abatelli create here are beautiful,layering voices and instruments into a mellow, but dynamic weave you simplyhave to hear. From there on it out its one solid performance after another,from the soulful "True", the Latin sounds of "All ComesRound", or the efficient beauty of "Never Too Late" The pairoffer up a lovely piano/guitar instrumental in the form of "Love's EarlyDays", painting in musical pastels an impressionistic portrait of thegentleness of spirit that accompanies new love. Diamond raises the bar vocallyfor "Choosing Peace" and "Your Face". The former is agorgeous, fluid performance that perhaps exceeds any of her prior recordings,and the latter is just a vocal "Wow" moment.
Lori Diamond and Fred Abatelli won'tgrab you by the shirt and make you listen; rather, they create subtle songsfull of beautiful movement that slowly draws you in. Diamond's voice ismesmerizing, and her piano work is enhanced by the eminently subtle guitar workof Abatelli. True shows a duo continuing to improve on a chemistry andshared musical vision that had previously proven quite rare. True is thesort of album that inspires impatience to hear what Diamond and Abatelli mightdo next.
Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)
Learn more about Lori Diamond at www.loridiamond.netor www.myspace.com/loridiamond. True is available on CD through Diamond's website. Downloads are available through the link below.
MP3
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