Gina Sicilia - Can't Control Myself
2011, Swingnation Records/Vizztone
Philadelphiasinger/songwriter Gina Sicilia has been making waves in Blues, R&B, rockand country now for four years. The25-year-old has already been nominated for a “Best New Artist Debut” at theBlue Music Awards in Memphis, Tennessee. Sicilia recently released her third album, Can’t Control Myself, showing off her distinctive voice, and ablend of original songs and classic covers.
Sicilia kicks things off with"Addicted", showing off an impressive, deep and smooth alto voice.There's a lot of sound to hang onto here, even if Sicilia sticks to a verycompact range. A more soulful sound works its way into "Crazy Bout YouBaby", and Sicilia works the song through with good energy. There'ssomething missing here, though. Sicilia sounds great, and no one can say shedoesn't put herself into the performance, but for someone whose songs are sosteeped in the blues; you never quite get the sense that Sicilia feels thatfundamental fatalism that underlies the genre. Much the same impression is wonby "Members Only" -- once again Sicilia sounds wonderful, but shedoesn't sell the soul of the song the way she might.
"Before The Night IsThrough" is a great vehicle for Sicilia's voice, and might just be thebest pure vocal performance of the album. "Can't Control Myself"plays in the same territory. Sicilia plays the relentless, heavy cadence of thesong well, although this is perhaps a bit overdone in the end. Listenersfinally get to hear a different dimension of Gina Sicilia on the closing track,"Once In A While". Sicilia opens up voice, showing off some wonderfultimbres in her upper range. The distinctly country feel of the song also is anice change of pace, and fitting for where Sicilia lives musically. This is themost nuanced performance of the album, and bodes well for the future.
Gina Sicilia impresses on Can'tControl Myself. She's got a knockout voice, and a bit more range than youmight think after listening to most of the album. Her more blues and soul basedperformances have an almost academic air at times, seemingly separated from thedeep emotions that underwrite the respective genres, but Sicilia wraps hervoice around you in waves and suddenly it doesn't seem to matter quite so much.The country turn at the end of the album is a great sidebar, and shows off aslice of Sicilia's voice that might be even more intriguing than the big soundshe practices on much of Can't Control Myself. Sicilia has a real futurewith her voice, and while this is a great start, she might have a bit ofsoul-searching to do on her sound. She's definitely one to watch.
Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)
Learn more about Gina Sicilia at www.ginasicilia.com or www.myspace.com/ginasicilia.
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